Butterfly
by Spartanica
Summary: She finally found a chance at keeping Naruto safe, but doing so would push her beyond anything she thought herself capable of, while Sasuke slowly finds himself inexplicably in love with the one girl who he could never have. SasukexHinata
1. Beginnings

**Synopsis: The Akatsuki wanted Naruto. Hinata knew that, eventually, they would succeed. They weren't against tearing Konoha to the ground in order to find him. And suddenly, in the most unlikely of circumstances, she found herself in a position to help. The physical pain was something she could deal with. But when her heart became tangled in the mess of lies and deceit necessary to keep everyone safe, she started to doubt how long she could continue protecting him. It only got worse. Naruto wasn't the only one in danger anymore, and it wasn't just her life and her heart at stake. And at the center of everything, she begins to know someone she never thought twice about. The only person who can help her save Naruto. She needs Sasuke more than she's ever needed anyone, but she doesn't realize the depth of his feelings for her, afraid of being hurt, she doesn't realize just how much she loves him. But by then, is it too late?  
**

**Rating: Will stay at 'M'. ****Language, gore, and a lemon at some point. It will be done differently though, in a separate story as a oneshot as long as I can make it run smoothly. That way you can read it if you want to, and if you don't, you won't miss out on the story. I may _not _do this, though. There will be smut and other mature content through the whole story, so I'm not sure how much good it will do to take out the lemon.**

**Disclaimer: I disclaim. **

Hinata twisted to one side, Neji's palm flew past her hip, barely missing her. She brought her left hand down in a sharp arc, blue chakra whistling from her skin and soaring towards her cousin's wrist. He flipped his hand upward, and the two hands collided with a sharp crack. At the same time, Hinata lifted her right hand and shoved it forward towards Neji's shoulder. He leaned backwards, free hand catching himself to avoid the blow. He flipped back, and Hinata sank into a defensive stance. For a moment, both Hyuuga's paused, their chests heaving. Then Neji straightened. "You've improved, Hinata. I think we should stop for today."

Hinata blinked, then smiled a little. "Thank you, Neji-sama." She said softly. The pair went their separate ways, Neji to the branch house, and Hinata to the head. She showered and got dressed for the day, wringing out her long hair. She really should cut it, but hadn't had the time. And training with two boys, there wasn't much sympathy when it came to that sort of maintenance. She hadn't really meant to grow it out. It just kind of happened. She had been back in the village for almost a year. Her sixteenth birthday was in two weeks. And although her father was planning some sort of big party, there was only one person she wanted to care about her. And he barely knew she existed.

Clasping her hands behind her back, she made her way outside the mansion, heading down towards the village gates. She didn't have anything to do today, which was rare. Kiba had a nasty cold, and Shino's entire family had gotten called out on some mission. She hadn't asked for specifics. She considered stopping by Naruto's house, but just the thought of him brought a blush to her face. And she didn't have a reason for actually going to see him, so she banished the thought.

She missed him though. A tiny smile touched her face. When they met again, she would be even stronger than she had been before. That was what she had promised herself the last time they saw each other. And she was stronger. She had really gotten the hang of the Byakugan. More than that. She was finally impressing her father. And earning Neji's respect. The smile on Hinata's face grew. Things were finally turning around for her. She was just...happy. But it was as if Naruto had eyes only for Sakura. Hinata didn't have anything against the pink haired kunoichi. She had always been nice to her. But she still wished that somehow Naruto would notice her.

Neji knew how she felt. He was probably the only one who did. He had seen the way she looked at Naruto. Maybe it was because he was so good at reading people, he knew what her body signals meant, the way she fidgeted. But he rarely commented on it. Hinata was thankful for that. She and Neji were almost friends now. Sort of. And they were training together. That was new. Neji had even taught her how to activate her Byakugan with only one hand sign. Hinata lifted one hand to the gate guards in greeting, and they nodded curtly as she passed through the village gates.

She liked it outside of the village. It felt more open, free. And here, she could be alone with her thoughts. The young Hyuuga continued walking until she found a place more secluded than anywhere else. She had been here once before, to this very waterfall. The memory brought a blush to her cheeks. Naruto had seen her naked...But he hadn't known it was her. And she had gotten out of there before he could figure it out. Still...It was a moment she went over in her head quite often.

Selecting a place where the grass was soft, Hinata sat down, folding her legs underneath her and leaning back against a tree. She draped her arms over her stomach and closed her eyes. "Naruto-kun." She murmured, before drifting off into a light sleep.

* * *

A loud bang tore through the trees, and Hinata's eyes flew open. She sat up straight, looking around wildly. There were several sets of chakra nearby. Two of which felt extremely powerful, and one of which felt extremely familiar. She scrambled to her feet, forcing herself to focus as a shout of exertion rent the air. "Byakugan!" She lifted her hands to her face as she felt her bloodline limit surge. Then she opened her eyes, and her gaze flew through the trees towards the source of the chakra.

Five figures...Two of whom she didn't recognize at all. One held an oblong object that seemed to be a sword, it's broad blade held against the stomach of a male figure. The new member of Naruto's squad, Sai. But the sword...it seemed to be directly draining his chakra. Eating it away. Behind him, seemingly unconscious, was a female Hinata guessed was Sakura. And a little to the left of Sai, facing off against the other enemy, was Naruto himself. Hinata's heart jumped a little. But something was wrong...Naruto wasn't moving at all. He and the other figure just stood there, motionless. It was probably some sort of genjutsu.

Hinata pushed chakra into her feet and sprang into a tree, launching herself towards the fight. The entire time, she kept her gaze on Naruto. After a few seconds, he sank to his knees, and a gutwrenching roar of agony escaped his mouth. Hinata's eyes widened in panic."Naruto-kun!" She breathed. Her gaze shifted to Sai and the sword weilding shinobi. Sai had conjured some kind of creature made up entirely of his own chakra, and the creature was diving towards the sword-user.

But the moment the sword ripped across the creature's back, it vanished. As if it had been absorbed directly into the weapon. Sai was losing the battle, and quickly, while Naruto fell forward, motionless. Hinata did something she never thought she would have done. She drew a kunai from the pouch on her leg and forced one final burst of chakra into her feet, leaping from the trees down into the fight, placing herself between Naruto's unconscious form and Itachi Uchiha. She wouldn't have recognized him if it hadn't been for his Sharingan eyes. Naruto had told her once that the reason Sasuke had left was to become strong enough to kill his older brother.

But then what was Itachi doing here? Hinata's gaze flicked momentarily to the other shinobi, a large man with bluish skin and gills, his sword covered with bandages half unraveled. Sai had fallen to one knee, but his eyes met hers for a brief moment. "Don't come any closer!" Hinata tried to make her voice sound imposing, unafraid, as she stared fiercely up at the older Uchiha. Not knowing about his Mangekyou, she met his gaze squarely, which clearly surprised him.

He took a tentative step forward, although she had the feeling he was being more mocking than cautious. "I'm s-serious!" She hated the stutter in her voice, but couldn't help herself. She reactivated her Byakugan, since it had deactivated when she leapt from the trees.

"Byakugan?" The other shinobi spoke, and Hinata had to force herself to keep her gaze on Itachi, since he was within striking range now. "So you're a Hyuuga?" Kisame moved away from Sai. The only conscious member of team seven was so drained of chakra he could hardly remain upright. He was hardly a threat. Which left Hinata, alone against two S-ranked missing ninja. Suddenly, she recognized the pattern of their cloaks. Akatsuki. She fought hard to keep her face calm, emotionless, but wasn't sure if it had worked.

"Only question is," This time it was Itachi who spoke. His voice brought a shiver to the back of Hinata's neck, and she tightened her grip on the kunai, frantically trying to remember what she had been told about the Akatsuki. But all she could come up with was that the organization was made up entirely of missing ninja, and that they were treated as S-class criminals. If one was ever located, it was clearly said to report their presence, but never try to fight or capture one. Which left Hinata in a rather difficult position. She could hardly just walk away from these two, and she'd never be able to carry Naruto, Sai, and Sakura. Her thoughts were brought to a screeching halt at Itachi's next words, "Are you the genius Hyuuga? Or the dropout?"

Hinata knew the question wasn't meant to be answered. It was supposed to unnerve her, to show some of her weaknesses and to tell Itachi what sort of person, what sort of fighter she was. She barely managed to keep her face straight as she spoke. "I'm the dropout." Her response, once again, seemed to catch Itachi off guard, and although Kisame stood a little ways away, chuckling, she sprang forward, bringing the kunai close to her body to block any counter attack as she channeled chakra into her left hand, thrusting it towards the tenketsus around Itachi's heart. The move wasn't perfect. Neji had managed to manipulate the chakra to the precise point where this attack would both throw the enemy back and collapse their tenketsus. Hinata could only do that forty percent of the time.

Next thing she knew, Itachi's hand was fastened around her wrist, twisting it to the point where her bones screamed in protest, although her wrist didn't break. Hinata's eyes widened. She hadn't even seen him move. "I could kill you right now, Hyuuga." Itachi hissed, applying a little more pressure to her wrist. Hinata squeezed her eyes shut. 'Don't cry out,' she told herself. 'don't scream.' She swept forward the kunai in her other hand sharply, the blade nearly opening a gash on Itachi's chest. It caught the fabric of his shirt and tore it, and before she had completed the cut, Itachi had taken a hold of her other wrist. Twisting her arm around her body so her arms were crossed, he pulled her back against his chest, rendering her unable to move.

"I've got three ANBU squads behind me," Hinata said suddenly, falling completely still as Itachi's grip tightened. Any more and both her wrists would snap like twigs. She could sense the Uchiha's hesitation. Kisame, however, merely laughed again.

"Then why are you the one at the front of the squad?"

Hinata could almost hear Itachi smirk behind her. Oops. "Naruto-kun went missing and I wanted to come after him...because I...I..." She stopped talking suddenly. Sai had ingested a food pill subtly while she faced Itachi. And he was sweeping his paintbrush through the air, ink flying from it's bristles. Hinata saw the creature exploding from the end just in time, and drove her head back hard against Itachi's jaw. It was enough to get him to loosen his grip, and Hinata threw herself to the ground as the lion dog launched over her head, knocking Itachi back.

"Hinata-sama!" Sai wrapped one arm around Naruto's waist, lifting him and motioning with his free arm to Sakura. "Hurry!" He secured his grip on Naruto and took off through the trees. Hinata scrambled to her feet, looking once over her shoulder to see Itachi struggling with the lion dog. Kisame was moving towards him, his sword held aloft and ready to cut the creature away. Urgently, she raced towards her fellow kunoichi and lifted her. It was a bit awkward, since Sakura was taller than Hinata. But she was lean as opposed to curvy, and Hinata was able to carry her without being too hindered. She heard a slight splatter of ink and knew Kisame must have destroyed the lion dog.

Leaping after Sai, she risked another glance over her shoulder to see both Itachi and Kisame on their feet. Although they weren't making any indication that they were going to follow. This puzzled her, and she wondered if maybe they had taken her bluff about the ANBU squads seriously. But the look on Itachi's face sent a chill down her spine and caused her to look forward again. Increasing her speed until she caught up with Sai, she avoided meeting his gaze, even when he looked at her quizzically as if to ask what was wrong. For whatever reason, she couldn't bring herself to face him. Couldn't face anyone. All she could do was focus on making sure she didn't fall behind, and making sure she didn't drop Sakura.

She felt ashamed, as if something unclean had happened and it had been her fault. As if somehow she had betrayed Naruto, the entire leaf village. Maybe she was going crazy, or was imagining it...But it seemed like when she had looked back at Itachi, it had, for the moment she had watched him, it seemed like he had been grinning. Hinata focused on Sakura's heartbeat, and glanced sideways at Sai, who wasn't trying to catch her eye any longer. Then her gaze shifted to Naruto, and she felt the power of Itachi's smirk again. Biting her lip, she turned her eyes back to her path ahead.

* * *

When Sai and Hinata reached the gates, the two guards, Izumo and Kotetsu, didn't notice at first that anything was wrong. They remained bent over paperwork until Izumo did a double take. "Naruto-kun! Sakura-chan!" Izumo nudged Kotetsu, whose eyes widened. Kotetsu radioed the medic ANBU, and Izumo rushed towards Sai and Hinata. "What happened?"

Sai began explaining, voice horribly calm. Hinata just listened, with the occasional nod of agreement. But she didn't say anything, and no one asked her how she had gotten involved in the fight. She was glad, since she wasn't much up for speaking at the moment. She tuned out of Sai's monotone voice, and wasn't aware of anything until the medics arrived to take Sakura and Naruto. It seemed it had taken the medics hours to get there, while in reality it couldn't have been more than a few minutes. The medic squad started towards the hospital, and while Sai leapt after them to make sure his teammates were okay, Hinata found that she couldn't follow.

For once she was glad of her ability to go unnoticed, and slid away back towards the Hyuuga mansion. A butterfly stitched the air above her shoulder as she walked, but she barely noticed it. She wasn't entirely sure why she felt so strange...but her thoughts kept straying back to those two Akatsuki. What had they been doing here? What exactly were they after? She pushed the gate of the mansion open, feet crunching on the gravel of the walkway as she made her way up towards her room. She could have gone in through the front door, but then she would have been noticed, and she didn't want to discuss where she had been.

Her window was unlocked, as she knew it would be, and she lifted herself inside. But her foot caught on the sill as she pulled it inside, and she stumbled, managing to catch herself at the last moment by grasping the edge of her bedside table. The lamp on it's surface crashed to the ground, and Hinata winced at the noise. She waited...but her door remained closed and no footsteps intruded from the hallway. Breathing a sigh of relief, the Hyuuga pulled off her overcoat and sank onto her bed, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees. She closed her eyes, and must have fallen asleep, because she dreamt things that had already happened...and things that could never happen.

* * *

_"What are you doing? Get up." Neji stood over her, eyes narrowed. Hinata felt pain sear through her chest and down her legs, then travel back up to her fingertips as she stirred. _

_"I...I c-can't!" She whispered, a tremble coursing through her body._

_"You can't?" Neji's echoing words stung her. "You're just as much of a failure as I thought you were, then." Hinata winced, digging her fingers into the dirt beneath her, and felt tears welling up in her eyes. She wasn't a failure...But when she opened her mouth to protest, no sound came out. "And for a moment there, I really thought you had changed." Neji turned away from her, and Hinata gripped the dirt tighter. "I thought that maybe, you'd started to get strong." _

_Next thing Hinata knew, she was on her feet, a cry escaping her lips as she flung a wild punch at Neji's face. It was a stupid move, and not a very strong punch at all, so it was no surprise when Neji whirled around and caught her fist easily in one hand. Pain shot through her body again, and, panting, she stared into his face, tears welling in her eyes but refusing to fall. "I...am not weak!" She whispered._

_Suddenly it was not Neji that clutched her fist, but Itachi. And there, on his face, was the wicked grin that paralyzed her with fear. And she stood, watching immobile, as he knelt beside Naruto's inert form. Itachi's gaze never left her face, until he drew a kunai and held it to Naruto's throat. Hinata felt nothing but panic, terror, at the sight. And yet she still didn't move. Her feet were frozen to the spot._

_Itachi began to drag the kunai across Naruto's skin, blood blossomed from his throat and stained his blond hair red, and Itachi looked back up at her, Sharingan eyes the same shade as Naruto's blood. Hinata's eyes widened and she tried to scream, but her mouth wouldn't open. "Move!" She shouted in her head. Naruto's blue eyes were opened now, staring at her with betrayal and hurt. 'Don't leave me, Hinata!' But she was backing away now, her heart pounding in her chest._

_And he was following her. Itachi was standing, moving towards her, and Naruto's eyes never left her face, even as his lips parted in a soundless cry of pain, the last of the blood gurgling from his throat. And now her own hands were stained with his blood, and Itachi's eyes had grown to fill her entire mind, and she couldn't tear her gaze away. "MOVE!" _

* * *

"Hinata-sama?" Hinata sat up suddenly, eyes wide. Somehow, she hadn't moved the entire time she had slept. She lifted her head to look at the speaker, standing in the doorway to her room. Neji's face was, shockingly, devoid of emotion. He stared at her, and the force of his gaze was so unusual that Hinata felt something must be wrong. She stood, moving to the mirror on the other side of the room, and her eyebrows lifted in surprise. Her hair was caked with dirt, and there was some blood in the back where she had head butted Itachi. There was a small scrape on her forehead and, when she looked down at her wrists, she saw violent purple and black bruises where Itachi had held onto her.

Neji moved into the room, standing behind her and looking at her face via the mirror. Hinata didn't look at him, only saw her own reflection. "Sasuke-kun's brother...And another Akatsuki..." Hinata whispered, reaching up to touch the scrape on her forehead. She could only guess she received it when diving out of the lion dog's way. "They attacked Naruto-kun's team." Neji didn't reply, but he moved his hand to take a hold of Hinata's arm, pulling her bruised wrist around to examine it. Satisfied that neither of her wrists were broken, he released her, and Hinata dipped her head, eyes falling to the ground. "And I stood in Itachi's way..." Hinata continued speaking in a quiet voice. "But against Itachi...Against just one of them, I was powerless to protect someone I care about. I really am...weak."

She turned away from Neji, lifting her hand to the mirror and placing her palm against it. "I couldn't...do...a-anything." She hissed, clenching her eyes shut as a few tears pressed at her eyes. She curled her fingers into a fist, hand trembling. "I refuse to be weak any longer!" She shouted, drawing her hand away from the mirror, then flinging her fist into the reflection. The pieces fell to the ground, sparkling around hers and Neji's feet. Neji watched Hinata's reflection shatter, and somehow, he could sense it. That girl was gone. She wouldn't run any more. She wouldn't ever turn her back again. It seemed that, with the breaking of that mirror, she had broken away from her old self. Or she was starting to.

He spoke for the first time since entering her room. "You should go to the hospital."

"I'm fine, Neji-sama!"

"No. You should visit Naruto. He just got out of Tsunade's care."

Hinata lifted one hand to her eyes, wiping them clean of any tears. Neji felt more like she was wiping away the remnants of her childhood. "Is that...what you came to tell me?" She asked quietly. Neji hesitated for a moment, then lifted one shoulder a little, turning for the door. He spoke just before leaving, his words drifting back to Hinata so quietly that she almost thought she had imagined them.

"You were crying in your sleep." Hinata knew she would regret the question she was about to ask, but couldn't stop the words from tumbling out.

"What was I saying?"

Neji turned his head halfway, so she could see part of his face outlined against the light of the hallway. "You were saying, 'I'm sorry.'" Then he vanished down the hall, leaving Hinata standing alone in her room, gaze focused on the floor.

* * *

She went to the hospital, as Neji had suggested. But when she reached the entrance, she hesitated, biting her lower lip. She'd have to ask for his room. And if he was awake...She'd have to talk to him. Hinata drew a deep breath, then lifted her chin and stepped inside. No one was at the front desk. Figuring that the nurses were just on a break or something, Hinata clasped her hands behind her back, glancing around somewhat awkwardly. Five minutes passed. Then ten. Hinata sat in one of the chairs in the front lobby, tucking one foot behind the other and glancing down the hall whenever she heard footsteps. But no one ever came close enough for her to ask for help.

A half hour passed. Then an hour. Hinata stood finally, deciding that this had been a stupid idea after all. Turning towards the exit, she had placed one hand on the door when someone said her name.

"Hinata-sama?" The Hyuuga turned to see Sai coming out of one of the doors down the hall. She lifted one hand in greeting, and, looking slightly surprised, Sai returned the gesture. "What are you doing here?" The boy drew even with her, and Hinata sputtered for an answer, staring sideways at the place the wall met the floor. Sai waited patiently for her to speak, seemingly not going to help her get there any faster. Finally, Hinata drew herself together.

"I wanted to make sure Naruto-kun was all right." She forced herself to look up at Sai, who tilted his head curiously to one side.

"Oh, of course. I'm glad you came, anyway. I wanted to thank you for saving us." Sai turned his back on Hinata, beckoning down the hall. "Sakura's in 103, that's where I was a moment ago. She's in a coma, but they think she'll be all right in a few weeks." Hinata listened carefully, breaking into a trot to catch up to the other ninja before returning to a normal pace when she reached him. "And Naruto's in 159. He just woke up."

Hinata muttered something along the lines of, 'It was nothing.' when Sai mentioned her saving them, and now fell completely silent, her throat dry. She swallowed, trying to come up with something to say, but Sai wasn't expecting anything. He paused abruptly outside a door, and placed one hand on the handle. "Do you mind if I come in with you? I haven't seen him since he got out of surgery." Hinata shook her head quickly, then Sai pushed open the door. She slid inside after the boy, remaining slightly hidden behind him.

"Sai! And...Hinata? Hey guys!" The blond was sitting up, bandages on his torso being changed. Naruto looked extremely tired, but his eyes were bright, and the grin on his face as strong as ever. Hinata forced herself not to look at his chest and stomach, their tanned skin horribly exposed. Naruto seemed slightly puzzled to see Hinata there, but accepted it.

"How are you feeling, Naruto?" Sai asked, pulling a chair up to his teammate's bed and sitting himself in it. There was another chair, on the other side of Naruto's bed, but Hinata remained standing awkwardly by the door, hands clasped behind her back.

"I'm all right! Really sore, but you know how it is." The nurse finished with Naruto's bandages then left the room. Hinata stepped to one side so she wasn't in the way, watching the door swing shut behind the nurse. When she turned back to Naruto and Sai, the conversation had turned to uncomfortable territory. "...did you get us out of there? When I passed out you and Sakura looked like you were screwed."

Sai flicked his gaze to Hinata, who wanted to say something to stop him but felt the words die in her mouth. "Hinata showed up just in time. She bluffed Itachi long enough that I could conjure a lion dog. She's really the one who got us out of there."

Naruto turned enthusiastic eyes to Hinata. "Really?! Hinata, that's amazing!"

"N-no, not really..." Hinata felt heat rise in her face and threw her gaze to the ground.

"It is!" Naruto swung his legs to the other side of the bed, pushing himself gingerly to his feet. Then he was walking towards Hinata. She felt her frame shaking. _Don't come closer! _She pleaded silently. "You took on two of the Akatsuki, and survived! You saved our lives!" He placed one hand on either of her shoulders, grinning.

"I..." Hinata tried to shrink away from Naruto, but her back was against the wall and his hands held her fast. Oblivious to her discomfort, Naruto pulled her into a hug. Her eyes widened, and she wished she could let go and faint, but for the first time, she didn't. She just stood there feeling like she had a temperature of 300 degrees. After an eternity, Naruto released her. Hinata blinked, seeing that Sai had pulled Naruto away.

"Are you all right, Hinata-sama? You look a little faint." Naruto stared at Sai in blank confusion.

_Faint? I wish. _Hinata nodded, clenching her fingers. "I-I'm fine. But I should probably be getting home. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, Naruto-kun." She chirped, edging towards the door and grasping the handle tightly. "I'll see you later." She forced herself to open the door calmly, then slid out into the hall. The moment she heard the door close, she took off at a dead sprint, not stopping until she reached the Hyuuga mansion.

Neji saw his cousin running up the path and sighed. Apparently, she hadn't completely conquered her old self yet. But she had crossed a line today, that much he knew. And it would only be a matter of time before she could completely abandon her fears and finally embrace her destiny.

Hinata flung herself onto her bed, and the moment she hit the pillows she was asleep, thankfully, dreaming nothing.

* * *

She overslept the next morning, which was a Sunday, generally her day off. Hinata woke to a sharp rapping on her door. "Up, Hinata!" She groaned silently, recognizing her father's voice. Sitting up, she rubbed the side of her head. "I'm up, Tousan." She called back. That seemed to satisfy him, for she saw the shadow beneath her door frame move away. Sighing, she glanced down at her wrists. The bruises had turned a sickly sort of yellow blue, and the scrape on her forehead was scabbing. Thankfully, her head wasn't sore anymore, although, as she got dressed, she could tell strain on her wrists was still painful.

She brushed out her hair, making another mental note to cut it soon. She started to pull it from her face, but another knock on her door stopped her. Apparently, there wasn't time for that. "Hinata-sama." The voice was a little more gentle, and she stood, straightening the folds in her clothes.

"Come in," Hinata said lightly, clasping her hands behind her back. Neji slid open the door to her room, but didn't enter. He leaned coolly against the doorframe, hands in his pockets. "What is it, Neji-sama?" She felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny.

"Tsunade wants to know what happened. Naruto and Sakura are still in the hospital, so she asked you and Sai to make the report."

Hinata frowned, sliding her gaze down to her cousin's shoes. "All right..." She stepped past Neji, avoiding his gaze as she started down the hall. She hadn't realized he was following until she reached the front gate. A small squeak of surprise escaped her lips as she turned to look behind her, only to find Neji right beside her.

"Hiashi asked that I accompany you. But you didn't give me time to say so before running from your room."

Hinata felt a stab of foolishness in her stomach, and tried to cover her discomfort with a shrug, as if it didn't matter, but Neji wasn't watching her any more. He was walking beside her, his hands still in his pockets. Hinata bit her lower lip, focusing on not tripping or doing anything else embarrassing. By the time the cousins had reached the Hokage's mansion, Sai was already there, standing just outside the entrance.

"Hinata-sama. Neji-sama." He said, voice always calm. The three fell into step beside each other, and silence sank over them until they reached Tsunade's office.

Neji turned to his cousin, saying, "I'll wait outside, Hinata."

Hinata nodded as Sai knocked on the door to Tsunade's office. Immediately, it was opened by Shizune, and Sai and Hinata stepped inside. "It was a reconnaissance mission, Sai." Tsunade muttered, her hands cradling her forehead. She looked up, eyes tired and irritated. "And Sakura is lying in a coma, and Naruto won't be dismissed from the hospital for days. What happened? Tell me everything."

Once again, Hinata was left standing awkwardly by the door as Sai began speaking, the precise way they had been taught to deliver a report in the academy. No 'like's or 'um's. Just the facts. She found herself listening, wanting to know how they had gotten themselves into such a situation.

"We reached the border of the fire country just fine. We patrolled it carefully, Naruto sustained a minor twisted ankle when he jumped from a waterfall too earnestly, but Sakura healed it and we were on our way again shortly after."

Hinata smiled a little at that part. It sounded like something Naruto would do.

"We were on our way back when Sakura and myself sensed two powerful chakras nearby. Naruto continued forward, just as we stopped. Then two cloaked shinobi jumped into the path in front of us. One had blue skin, gills, and sharpened teeth. I wasn't close enough to see if they were filed or natural. He had a large sword with scales for the blade. It was wrapped in bandages, and I did not see the scales until later. The other was Uchiha Itachi."

Tsunade lifted her head suddenly, eyes wide and her hands falling onto the desk with a dull 'thump'. She didn't interrupt, however, just listened avidly. And Sai, sensing her intense curiosity, continued.

"We recognized the shinobi by their cloaks as Akatsuki, and immediately tried to flee. But we didn't get far before they caught up to us. Sakura was immediately knocked unconscious by Itachi, and while I turned to face the other, Naruto was attacking Itachi.

"Naruto was caught in Itachi's genjutsu, and I tried to attack Itachi, but the other shinobi blocked my path. His sword has the ability to eat chakra, and rendered my ink useless. I would have been dead, but that's when Hinata showed up, just after Naruto too was incapacitated."

Recognizing that it was her turn to speak, Hinata stepped forward. Tsunade, however, wasn't as patient as others had been. When Hinata tried to clear her throat, Tsunade stood. "Just tell us, Hinata. If those were indeed Akatsuki we have serious problems."

"I was just..in the forest...and I heard a loud crash. I used my Byakugan and saw the sword eating Sai's chakra. I also saw that Naruto-kun and Sakura were unconscious. So I started to rush towards them and-"

Tsunade cut into her words. fury etched into her face. "You must have sensed the enemy's chakra and known they were beyond your power, why didn't you follow procedure and immediately report it?"

Hinata flushed a little, fiddling with her hands. "I..I...wasn't on an official mission and didn't have my radio, and I knew by the time I got to the village and back Sai and Naruto-kun and Sakura would probably be dead."

Tsunade glanced over Hinata's shoulder at Shizune, but since Hinata couldn't see Shizune's face, she wasn't sure what transpired. Feeling suddenly defensive, she spoke again. "And I couldn't just leave them to die!"

Sai glanced at her sideways, frowning a little as Tsunada returned her gaze to Hinata. "Understandable. Please continue, Hinata."

Hinata shifted, curling her fingers into fists to stop herself from making any more nervous gestures. "I jumped down from my hiding place in the trees and blocked Itachi's path to Naruto-kun. I stared him in the eyes and he seemed surprised, which is why he stopped walking. I tried to make it seem like there were many ANBU just behind me. And they didn't really believe me, but they hesitated enough to stop attacking."

She left out the part where Itachi had taken hold of her wrists, and when he had recognized her as a Hyuuga. She saw Sai glance at her curiously, then decided it wasn't important enough to bring up, and she spoke again, words rushed to get it over with. "Sai took a food pill, I think, and managed to conjure one of his lion dogs. Then I carried Sakura and Sai carried Naruto back to the village. The Akatsuki must have taken my bluff seriously, because they didn't follow. Then Kotetsu radioed medic ANBU who took Sakura and Naruto to the hospital." She fell silent, and the room remained that way for several moments, broken when Tsunade sank back into her chair.

"Thank you for the report, I will have another assignment for you next week. Since Sakura will be in a coma at that time, I will have Hinata join your squad. You may leave." Sai turned to do just that, leaving Hinata alone in the room with Shizune and Tsunade. Tsunade quirked one eyebrow at the Hyuuga heiress. "Yes, Hinata?"

"I...I would...appreciate it if I could stay with my own team." Hinata squeaked. "Or maybe you could send Ino-chan with them instead. She has medical experience and-" The glare on the Hokage's face stopped her cold. "N-nevermind." She whispered, the hurried from the Hokage's mansion, barely noticing Neji walking alongside her.


	2. Tainted

The next few days passed in a blur, with Hinata training as hard as she could. Her bruises slowly faded from her wrists, and she forced herself to work through the soreness around her bones. Sometimes Neji would join her, but most of the time she was alone in the training yard, focusing on getting stronger. Somehow she thought that she could develop her chakra enough to where she wouldn't get beaten by Itachi again.

She knew that sentiment was foolish, that it was impossible to happen in a time span of a few days, but that didn't stop her from trying. On the day before her birthday, friday, her father called her out of the training yard just when she was thinking about calling it a day.

"We're having a party for you, tomorrow night. I expect you to be there, and to have an escort." Hiashi stared down at his daughter, who tried her best to meet his gaze. Truthfully, she had thought about skipping out on this party. She didn't like those sort of events, they made her feel awkward. But now there was no way out of it.

And an escort? As in...a date? Hinata's eyes widened. There was no way she could do that! Well, she could just have Neji escort her. Feeling immensely relieved, she let out a small sigh. "I think i'll just have Neji-sama escort me-"

But Hiasha cut into her words. "Neji already has someone he's going with."

Hinata blinked. "What?"

Speak of the devil, her cousin emerged from around the corner, his gaze shifting from Hinata to Hiashi. Slightly puzzled by their stares, he stopped walking. "Is something wrong?"

"You've got a date for tomorrow night?" Hinata had blurted it out before she could stop herself, and, to her immense shock, she saw a faint pink tinge to his cheeks. That was almost worth her impending panic.

"There's not much time for me to speak to Tenten outside of missions so I..."

"Tenten?!" Hinata was stunned as Neji's face grew more red. He, unlike her, managed to keep his composure even when blushing.

"Yes. Tenten. Is that a problem?"

"Well, no, of course not." When Neji nodded, Hinata realized she had to come up with a response for Hiashi. "I...I'll find an escort."

"Good. Then there's no reason for me to worry. It would certainly be embarrassing to think no one values your company enough to spend one night in your presence." Hiashi turned away, leaving behind two cousins with skin roughly the color of cherries.

They stood there in silence for a few seconds, until Neji glanced at her sideways. "You're going to ask someone to go to a social event with you?" There was something like amusement in his voice. "How will you manage that without passing out?"

Hinata, if possible, blushed more. "I-I'll just do it. It's not a big deal."

Neji chuckled. "Right. Who's it going to be then?"

Hinata fiddled with her fingers, looking down at her hands. "I don't know...Maybe...uhm..." Her voice faded away and she smiled a little sheepishly.

"Oh god. Not Uzumaki."

"Why not?" Hinata looked up, eyes wide and a little defensive. "What...what's wrong with Naruto-kun?"

"Hm? Nothing's wrong with _him. _But your feelings for him are so intense you can barely be in the same room with him. And now you're going to ask him to attend your birthday party? With you?" Neji had a point, although Hinata didn't want to admit it. She remained silent until Neji spoke again. "I could ask him for you, if you want."

"No!" Hinata's response was immediate. "If I can't do it myself, I...I don't want someone else to do it for me!"

Neji blinked, then smiled a little. "All right. Hiashi'll want to know who you're going with by tonight, so get a move on it."

* * *

Hinata showered and changed out of the clothes she had been training in, then started towards Naruto's house. As she walked, she went over possible things to say. But every suggestion was disregarded as stupid or pointless. Before she knew it, she had reached the blond's apartment, and was standing outside his door. She noticed the morning paper on the railing just outside the door, at around chest height, and considered bringing it in for him. But still, she didn't knock. 

Knocking would mean she'd have to come up with something to say to him, some way to start conversation. Or she could just blurt it out. She started to lift her hand, then shook her head. Maybe she could just find someone else. Shino would probably go with her. So would Kiba. She turned away from the door, then paused again.

She wanted to go with Naruto. She wanted him to be with her when she turned sixteen, and maybe even...maybe she could get her first kiss. It had been her dream, on her sixteenth birthday, to get a kiss from Naruto.

Hinata turned back towards the door. She just had to do it. Like ripping off a band-aid. She took a deep breath, lifted her hand, and started to rap on the door. Before her knuckles made contact, the door opened. Inside, Naruto was wearing his boxers, and his eyes were closed.

Apparently he was reaching for the newspaper. He probably did so every morning. Probably knew exactly where the newspaper lay on the railing. Probably knew that lifting his arm parallel to the ground and reaching out would place his hand directly over said newspaper, and he could take hold over the daily news, turn around, go back inside, and read it.

That's the reasoning which flew through Hinata's head when Naruto lifted his hand and placed it directly on top of her left breast. But even with that reasoning, she couldn't ignore the fact that Naruto-kun was actually feeling her up. Right there, on his front porch. Hinata's eyes widened suddenly as it sank in, panic settling over her face and turning it a brighter scarlet than she would have thought imaginable.

Naruto cracked open one eye, and looked slightly puzzled to see Hinata standing there. Then his eyes traveled downward to where his hand still groped her. "Hinata...chan?" There was a frozen moment where his half asleep brain tried to comprehend what he was seeing, then Hinata let out a squeak and swung her open palm around at the blond's face. It connected squarely and he spun around almost comically, landing flat on his back.

Immediately Hinata turned around and bolted away, flinging herself around the first corner she could find and flattening herself against the wall. Breathing heavily, she waited for her heartbeat to calm down. Okay, so maybe she'd just go ask Kiba instead. She sure as hell was /not/ going to face Naruto ever again. She'd die of embarrassment, she was sure of it. Finally, she was able to squeeze her eyes open. The small street was empty and quiet. Slowly, she stepped away from the wall. Part of her wanted to pretend that what had just happened hadn't actually happened. But it had. A small sigh whispered past her lips. So much for her ideal sweet sixteen. Then Hinata shrugged off her disappointment. She was a ninja. She didn't need such things as fancy parties or dreams. She had to focus. That's all.

Hinata moved off through Konoha to where Kiba lived with the other members of the Inuzuka family. She rapped twice on the door, noticing as she did that she didn't feel nearly as nervous approaching Kiba's house as she had Naruto's. Her shoulders sagged a little. Maybe things with him really weren't meant to work out. Then she shook her head. No, that couldn't be possible. She wasn't going to give up on Naruto. Ever. She was lucky that Kiba opened the door himself, since she would have rather not spoken to his sister or mother. Not that she disliked either of them. It was just...easier. Hinata frowned. Did she _always_ look for the easy way out?

"Hello, Kiba-kun." Hinata said, and her teammate smiled a little in greeting, tilting his head to one side.

"Hey, Hinata. Something wrong? You look weird." Hinata blushed a little, and the grin slid off Kiba's face slightly as he lifted one hand nervously to the back of his neck. "Sorry, I just meant, you know, you look different or something."

Hinata shook her head. "It's okay. I just...uhm...Well, my birthday's tomorrow night..." Her voice faded a little, and Kiba took that as an invitation to jump into a conversation.

"Yeah? That's right! I almost forgot! I actually got you something, a while ago. Hold on, i'll go get it!" He started to turn away, and Hinata's eyes widened as the door closed in her face. Well, she was off to a good start. Kiba returned a few moments later, holding out a slightly damaged box. "Here! Go on, open it!" Hinata took the box, blinking. Kiba had actually gotten her a present? Actually put thought into a gift? He seemed to read what she was thinking, since he spoke again. "It's not much, I got this and one for Shino at the same time, whenever his birthday is."

"I think it's on January 23rd." Hinata peeped, sliding one finger beneath the lid of the cardboard box and flipping it open. She wasn't entirely sure what she saw. Some sort of red stuff in a jar, with a small paintbrush next to it.

"It's face paint!" Kiba said. "The kind I wear, you know? It has the ability to hide your scent from enemies." Clearly, he thought this was an excellent, appropriate gift for a girl's sixteenth birthday. But for some reason, it made Hinata giggle. She beamed, closing her eyes.

"Thank you, Kiba-kun. I love it."

"Heh." Pleased with himself, Kiba folded his arms comfortably across his chest, grinning wildly. There was a bark from inside the house, and Akamaru came trotting down the hall, his head level with Kiba's shoulder as he gazed at Hinata, dropping a bone at her feet, which seemed to be his present to her. Hinata blinked, then giggled again and reached out, scratching the large dog between his ears.

"It's not really why I came though, I wouldn't bother you just about giving me a birthday present." Hinata tucked the small box containing Kiba's gift (and now Akamaru's) close to her stomach as she spoke.

"Oh, it wasn't? What is it then?"

"Well, Hiashi-sama wanted to throw me a party, and..." She stared to drift, then forced herself to continue on. "He wants me to bring an escort. It's just custom, and you wouldn't have to do anything. Just kind of stand there, and look nice while people arrive, then you can leave. An hour at the most." Heat rose in her face until she thought she might burst, but she forced herself to smile a little, shrugging off the embarrassment as she had seen Neji do earlier.

"Ah." Kiba was silent for a few seconds then shrugged. "Okay, sure. Tomorrow, right? What time should I be at your house?"

Hinata's eyes widened, and she quite forgot to look calm and composed. He had said yes. Just like that. Would Naruto have accepted that easily too? This wasn't so bad at all! "About seven o'clock, I think. And you can be home by eight, if you want." She held out a small piece of paper with the official time and such listed on it. She had a few of them in her pocket. And Neji said he'd give one to Shino for her.

"Don't worry about it. This'll be fun." Kiba smiled reassuringly, clapping Hinata on the shoulder somewhat roughly. She tried not to stagger under the weight of the friendly gesture, smiling a little nervously. Sometimes, very rarely, she wished her male friends would remember that she was in fact, _not_ male. But she always immediately dismissed the thought. She wanted to be treated as an equal. Nothing more, nothing less.

After speaking with Kiba, she waved goodbye and made her way back home. As she did, she passed Naruto's street. Pausing, she glanced towards his apartment, biting her lower lip. Taking a long breath, she turned and started back towards his door. It wasn't so hard. She could at least invite him to the party. She could do that. And she wanted him there.

She hesitated again when she reached his door, placing one hand on the cool wood. But Kiba had said yes, she realized. That's what made it so easy. If he had said no, it would have been extremely awkward. And if Naruto said no...Hinata pulled her hand away, holding it to her chest. This was precisely why she had never told him of her feelings. If he didn't share them, if he never did, then she'd...she'd be devastated.

Hinata took a step back. She couldn't tell him. At least not yet. She reached into her pocket with her free hand, removing one of the invitations from it with a slow, deliberate movement. Fiddling with the paper for a moment, she made up her mind and slid the invitation into Naruto's mailbox, closing the lid and moving away from Naruto's door. 'Okay, that's it. He's invited.' She turned her back on the door and mailbox. 'Just walk away now. Don't run.'

She forced herself to walk down the porch to the street, but just as she neared the edge of the building, she heard a door open, and bolted the rest of the way home.

* * *

"Hinata?" She had nearly run her father over upon reaching her home. 

"T-tousan!" Hinata clutched at a stitch in her side, staring up at Hiashi with wide eyes.

"What's wrong with you? Are you hurt?"

"N-no. I just thought i'd...run home..."

Hiashi quirked one eyebrow, then let out a puff of air, something like a snort, but more dignified. Leave it to a Hyuuga to make a snort sound dignified. "Whatever. Did you find an escort for tomorrow?"

"Y...Yes. Inuzuka Kiba. My teammate." Hinata spoke between pants, trying not to breathe heavily in front of her father. She had to be strong.

"Inuzuka Kiba...Very well. And do not wear your uniform tomorrow night. You can wear your clan clothes." Hinata winced a little. She didn't like to wear those clothes. They always made her feel like she was making Neji uncomfortable, reminding him that he was, inevitably, not part of the head family. "Just do it, Hinata. Stop worrying about others so much. Worry about yourself for once." Hiashi brushed past his daughter, leaving her staring at the ground with a frown on her face.

Then she glanced up, sighing. She'd have plenty of time to get ready for the party tomorrow, and she didn't want to worry about it until then. Hinata turned away from the main gate, and walked back to the training ground for the second time that day.

Neji watched Hinata vanish around the corner, frowning a little. This guy, this Uzumaki, he was tearing her apart. And he didn't even know it. Neji's frown creased his brow further. She needed to find someone who she was comfortable around. As much as he didn't like to admit it, he didn't like seeing her this way. He had hated her once, but...she wasn't like the other head family members. She was kind, humble, not like some of those who automatically believed themselves superior.

And he hadn't told her, but he valued her as he would a younger sister. Heaven help any guy who thought it fitting to hurt her.

* * *

Hinata removed her clan clothes from the bottom drawer of her wardrobe, pulling them on and smoothing out the wrinkles with her fingers. She frowned at her reflection. There was the main branch insignia stamped across the sleeves and hem, and she hadn't worn the clothes in so long that they were a little tight. She bit her lip, feeling uncomfortable. 

"Tousan?" She leaned out into the hallway. "Uhm...these don't really fit me anymore...do you think there's some other clothes I could wear?"

Hiashi was standing with a few other clan members, going over some things for the party. Hinata had the distinct feeling that this wasn't just a celebration of her turning sixteen. There was some serious alliance and treaty work going on. She had learned not to inquire about that sort of thing. "What's wrong with them?" He asked. "Get out here so I can see you."

Hinata cleared her throat a little awkwardly, shifting half her body out into the hall. At the impatient glare from her father, she moved fully into view. "Oh." Hiashi's face remained impassive. "All right, just wear a kimono. Your mother's are in the back of my closet." He turned away, not leaving Hinata time to protest or even show her gratitude.

"H-hai, Tousan." She said quietly, scurrying away down the hall, past her room and past Hanabi's room, until she reached the one door she hadn't entered since she was very young. It had only happened once. Tentatively, she touched the wooden door, half expecting it to repel her violently. When nothing happened, she applied a bit more pressure and pulled the door open, pushing it into the wall and stepping inside her father's room.

Everything in the room was immaculate, down to the last tatami mat. The bed was perfectly made, and the furniture was dusted. It wasn't exactly the cleanliness that was strange, it was more the feeling that came from the room. Unused, as if emotion hadn't touched the place in...well, sixteen years.Which was probably true, now that Hinata stopped to think about it.

The Hyuuga made her way across the floor gingerly to the closet her father had indicated. There was only one. Small, as most shinobi's were. There wasn't much need for vast amounts of clothing in their profession. And now that she was dwelling on her mother's memory, it seemed odd that her father would keep any of her clothes. Perhaps he was far more sentimental than she had ever imagined.

There was no handle to the closet, nor any indication of a door at all save the faint line in the wall. She wouldn't have known it was there if the closet in her room wasn't built the exact same way. Carefully, with the same delicacy that she had opened the first door, Hinata opened the closet.

At first all she saw were her father's clothes. Three sets of shinobi wear, in addition to a few clan outfittings and something that was most likely formal wear. She pushed aside those clothes and saw a single splash of color. Hinata reached in and pulled the kimono off the hanger, slightly confused at the mess of silk. She balanced it carefully in her arms and made her way somewhat awkwardly back to her room, noting as she did that her father was no longer in the hall. She closed the door behind her with one foot, then tried to set the kimono down gently on her bed. It was difficult, but she managed to keep the elaborate dress intact. Even so, she had no idea how to put it on, never having worn such a thing in her life.

Well sure, she had worn simple kimonos, when she was younger. But this...it was an incredible spectrum of white, violet, and blue. At least twelve layers, from what she could see. And the obi was silver, as well as extensively long. Hinata bit her lip, then pulled carefully at one of the silken sashes, opening the topmost layer of the kimono. She gave a small sigh. This was going to be impossible, and she did /not/ want Neji or her father to have to come help her. She continued to undo the sashes with deliberate slowness until there were none left. She wrapped her arms around her waist, now thoroughly stumped.

"Hinata-san?" There was a light tapping on her door and Hinata turned, slightly puzzled at the female voice. She moved to the door and slid it open, smiling a little as she saw Tenten. The brunette was dressed in what must have been her formal shinobi-wear.

"Hello Tenten-san."

"I got here a little early, and just thought i'd...say hi." It was a little strange, since the pair rarely spoke. But Hinata had the feeling that if Neji had finally decided to admit he had feelings for his teammate, they would probably be seeing more of each other.

"Oh, all right." Hinata glanced over her shoulder, slightly troubled. "Say, uhm...I don't suppose you know how to put on a kimono?"

Tenten nodded, smiling encouragingly. She moved over to the kimono, and reached underneath, pulling out the Nagajuban. "This goes underneath," She told Hinata. "Leave some room between the back part of the Eri and your neck. This is the Datejime, place it flat over your stomach, and wrap it around your back then tie it." She turned her back while Hinata did as Tenten told her.

"Okay." Hinata said, a little anxiously. Tenten helped straighten out the folds in the back, then lifted the first layer of the actual kimono. This part was easy enough, and Hinata was just starting to feel confident when they had put on the entire thing and turned back to the bed. The silver obi lay there, looking innocently complicated. Hinata actually let out a little whimper of dread.

"It's all right." Tenten assured her with a small laugh. She folded the obi in half, tucking it into the obiita then wrapping it around Hinata's waist. The Hyuuga lost track of how it was put on, there were so many folds and although Tenten tried to explain it as she went along, she was submerged in a mess of names and instructions. The final two pieces were the Obiage and Obijime, which were a bit less complicated.

Finally, the pair were done. Hinata stood looking at her reflection in the single mirror in her room, eyes wide. The colors of the kimono began with a deep navy blue, then flowed smoothly to violet, and finally ending in the palest of purples, nearly white. The design on the back was wrought in shining black threads. It was a dragon whose flames crawled up her back and ended just below the silver obi. Both the Obiage and Obijime were dark blue.

"Great! Now your hair." Hinata looked at Tenten, eyes still wide but now filled with puzzlement. Tenten just shrugged and moved forward. After a few more minutes, Hinata's hair was swept back into an elegant bun, and there was a comb with a stream of violets that Tenten tucked carefully into the bun. "You look beautiful." Tenten gave the heiress a somewhat awkward hug. "Consider that my present, okay?"

Hinata giggled a little bit, then followed Tenten from her room. People had already begun to arrive, she could hear their voices outside in the courtyard. Neji nodded slightly to Hinata, then offered Tenten his arm, not smiling. Although Hinata saw a trace of some happiness in his eyes. She hovered in the hallway, then Neji nudged her shoulder very gently. "Kiba-san is being spoken to by Hiashi-sama. At the gates."

Hinata smiled a little, nodding and rushing out the door, sliding into the courtyard. It was far more crowded than she thought it would be. "Hello Hinata." The heiress glanced in the direction of the voice, and saw Shino standing under a tree, his arms folded. His hood wasn't pulled over his face, and he had left his sunglasses at home. Hinata gave the Aburame a small wave, then continued weaving through the crowd, every once in a while spotting other Konoha natives she recognized. And many she didn't, but still saw fit to speak to her anyway. She was polite to all of them, speaking little and smiling shyly, as she knew would be expected. Finally, she reached the gates to the courtyard. Hiashi was towering over Kiba, speaking in the low voice she was so familiar with.

Hinata quickened her pace as much as her kimono would allow. Kiba shifted anxiously from side to side, dressed formally but not so much that he seemed uncomfortable. As Hinata drew closer, she heard a snatch of the conversation, which seemed to be dominated by Hiashi. "...has been through a lot already-"

"Tousan!" Hinata darted forward, staring pointedly up at Hiashi, who blinked in mild surprise, as if he had never seen her before. Hinata shifted a little, wondering if she had done something wrong. But Hiashi simply moved away, not looking back. Hinata let out a long sigh of relief the tension almost visibly lifting from her shoulders. Kiba laughed a little, and Hinata offered a half smile. "I think you're done now...I know Hiashi-sama just wanted to make sure I wasn't here alone."

Kiba lifted one eyebrow. "You're kicking me out already? Aw man. That must be some sort of new record." Before Hinata could correct her mistake, Shino had wandered over, smiling in that strange way of his that involved only his eyes. Kiba draped one arm on Hinata's head, and the heiress let out a tiny squeak, blushing a little. She tried to push the doglike shinobi away, but he laughed and wrapped one arm around her neck, ruffling her hair with one calloused hand. Hinata waved her hands at her teammate, squirming away. Surely her face would burst into flame, it was so warm. Kiba reached out, grinning and poked her stomach. Hinata's eyes widened as another squeak escaped her lips. She darted away, hiding behind Shino. But there was a trace of amusement on his face, and in all honesty, Hinata was giggling a little bit.

With another small noise, Hinata dashed away from Kiba as he tried to tickle her again. She wove through the crowd, who didn't seem to notice her presence, nor Kiba's. Eventually, they had reached the back gate. The pair left the walls of the Hyuuga mansion, and out onto the streets of Konoha. Hinata increased her pace, surprised at how well she could actually move in the kimono. Sure, it wouldn't be practical in a battle. But running, in normal shoes, it worked quite reasonably. She glanced over her shoulder, catching the slight whirl of the violet comb as her head turned. Kiba was catching up. With a slightly louder giggle, she increased her pace, darting around a wall and behind a building. Still, he managed to track her, although now the distance between them wasn't closing any more.

Feeling confident that she might actually be able to beat her teammate in a footrace, Hinata threw all her excitement into her running, until she had reached the training grounds, the ones near Naruto's house. She paused for breath, panting heavily and leaning against one of the logs stuck into the ground for target practice. She smiled to herself, noticing she had beaten Kiba. She reached up to her hair, smoothing it back into place and tilting her head back. There was a faint breeze, which cooled her still burning face, and the girl let out a content sigh, closing her eyes.

The moment she did, she knew something was wrong. Kiba wouldn't have let her run off at night. No way. And for another thing, she wasn't anywhere near fast enough to beat him. Just when the thought occurred that something had gone wrong, there was a cold bite at her throat. Her eyes snapped open, and she opened her mouth to scream, only to find a hand clapped over her lips. Panicked, she dug her nails into the hand over her mouth, other hand grasping the wrist which held the kunai to her throat. She pulled at it desperately, wanting to part it's contact with her skin.

Her efforts earned her nothing more than a chuckle in her ear, and the sound send an icy chill down her spine, entire body tensing up. "Hinata-sama," She never thought her name could sound so evil. And how had he known it anyway? Immediately, that thought slid from Hinata's mind. One look at the Hyuuga head family and her name would be overly obvious. "Don't scream." Oh. Sure. No problem. But just as the hand began to move away from her mouth and she started to make a sound, the kunai bit into her flesh. She felt a trickle of blood run down her neck, and gave a sharp intake of breath. Her captor grabbed Hinata's arm and whirled her around to face him.

The darkness of his cloak made him near invisible in the night, even with the red clouds stenciled onto it's fabric. But the crimson eyes were glowing. Hinata found herself staring into them, and now found she couldn't scream if she wanted to. All she could do was stare blankly into those eyes, the three whorls spinning around and around...

_Naruto-kun..._

Hinata shook her head violently, squeezing her eyes shut against Itachi's sharingan. She tried to push herself away, but the Uchiha merely slid his arm around her waist, pulling her body against his, arms pinioned to her sides and the kunai still at her throat. Itachi tilted his head a little, eyes moving over Hinata's kimono, then the violet comb in her hair. He knew she was a shinobi, the only reason she'd be wearing something like this was for a special occasion. "Is it your birthday?" The words tumbled from his lips smoothly, and Hinata cursed herself for trembling. She could feel his breath on her face, on her lips.

"H-hai..." Her voice came out as hardly a whisper, almost inaudible. Why was she answering? This was...this was one of the guys who was after Naruto! Neji had filled her in over the past week. Reluctantly, yes. But he had relented in the end and told her everything she wanted to know. These guys...these...Akatsuki. They wanted to extract the Kyuubi from Naruto, and in the process kill him. Murder him. And she was just /letting/ him hold her, his hips against hers. Hinata felt heat rise in her face to the point where she really thought she might faint. Thankfully, she didn't.

"Sixteen..." Somehow, he had known. "Sixteenth birthday, there's a rite of passage that kind of goes along with it." The Uchiha's lips were closing in on hers, and Hinata's eyes snapped open. _No, _she thought wildly. _No, Naruto-kun was supposed to be my first kiss. _Hinata twisted away as much as she could, and his lips merely grazed her jaw. With a quiet sigh, he whirled around faster than Hinata would have thought possible. Her back connected hard with the target log, and her hands were suddenly pinned over her head, one of the Akatsuki's hands gripping both her wrists. He trailed the end of the kunai down her jaw, pausing at the place his lips had touched her skin. She felt the blood she had already spilled now smeared on her cheek.

Without warning, the Uchiha leaned forward and sank his teeth into her throat, biting into the wound he had already created. Hinata seemed to find her voice and let out a scream that filled the trees and pierced the night with all the force of a white fire. Itachi didn't seem to notice, and she felt his tongue against the cut, her blood must now be dripping onto his tongue...Hinata struck out wildly with her foot, but the way Itachi was standing, she couldn't get enough force to cause any damage. It did surprise him a little though, and he moved away from the shallow cut on her throat, staring deeply into her eyes with a kind of sadistic cruelty.

"N-Naruto-kun..." Hinata didn't know why she breathed his name. It was as if the sound of it passing through her lips gave her strength. She thrashed violently, and to her surprise the pressure on her hands and against her body vanished. Startled by it's sudden absence, she tumbled down onto the ground, sprawled on her hands and knees. She heard a faint whisper on the wind, so quiet she might have imagined it. _I'll find you again..._ She hadn't noticed it before, but there was another presence nearby. One incredibly familiar and warm...She couldn't focus on it, merely remembered the cold hands on hers, the teeth at her throat. Hinata sat up, clutching her hands to her chest, and a small sob racked her frame, tears sliding from her eyes.

"Hinata? Hey, I was just on my way to your party-! Hey, Hinata-! Hinata?!" The person was drawing nearer, and had apparently seen that she was crying, for they dropped something and broke into a run, sinking to their knees in front of her. She felt a pair of hands grasp her shoulders, and saw a flicker of cerulean eyes through the film of tears that clouded her vision. _Naruto-kun! _She opened her eyes all the way, and for the first time, didn't feel embarrassed around him. The tears still slid from her eyes, but silently now. Something registered dully in the back of her mind. _'On my way to your party...' _He was going to come!

"Hinata, what's happened? I swear I heard you scream...!" The darkness must have made the blood on her neck harder to see, even against the paleness of her skin. The tears fell faster, and she felt the desire to just break down and weep, but the feeling of Naruto's hands on her shoulders seemed to ground her. His hands were warm, they were real. Comforting. Itachi was gone. He must have run away when he sensed someone approaching. Or maybe he hadn't been there at all. The stinging in her neck proved he had indeed been there.

But Naruto...Naruto had heard her, and he had come to help her. Come to see what was wrong...

Without thinking, she leaned forward and crashed her lips against his.

She didn't miss, and her first thought was that his lips were very soft, almost squishy. It was an odd word to associate with the situation, but it was now the only word she could think of. Her eyes had squeezed shut, and her arms were pinned close to her chest, her entire body angled forward to allow the kiss. Hinata didn't know what had motivated her to do it, well, technically, she did. But she didn't know why she had done it so suddenly. After a second or two, what she was doing seemed to sink in. She pulled away frantically, eyes flying open. Naruto still crouched there, his lips slightly parted and his bright blue eyes shining in surprise.

"I-I'm sorry, Naruto-kun!" Okay /now/ she was embarrassed. She had just /kissed/ him! Scrambling to her feet, Hinata darted away from Naruto, whose gaze followed her in supreme shock. Hinata ran faster than she ever had before, throwing another "I'm sorry" over her shoulder. If she could just get out of here first, then maybe she could faint /away/ from the blond. She didn't stop running even when she reached Ino's house, but simply came bursting through the door. Luckily, the blond kunoichi was sitting alone in her living room.

"Oh, hey Hinata-sama. I know I said you could always talk to me but it's kind of late-" Ino had stood, and her eyebrows lifted, moving to the cut on the heiress' neck. "Hinata-sama!" She scrambled to her feet, sending her chair flying in the process as she moved towards the other kunoichi. "What happened?"

"I-Ino-chan...Could you heal me? And could I get a washcloth or something...to clean off the blood?"

"Well yeah, yeah of course!" Ino lifted her hands urgently to Hinata's neck, and her skin glowed green. Hinata felt a curious warmth spread over the wound, and the most bizarre sensation of her skin knitting itself back together. After a few moments, Ino finished, and Hinata let out a small sigh, hand moving to where the cut had been. It was most certainly gone. "Here-" Ino held out a clean cloth, which Hinata took numbly and made her way to the kitchen. Ino rushed after her, firing questions at Hinata's back. But the heiress could practically feel Ino's words soaring in one ear and out the other.

The heiress leaned over the sink once she reached the kitchen, running the cloth under the faucet until it was dripping, then began to scrub at her neck. Flakes of dried blood fell from her skin into the basin, where the still running water soaked into them and ran down the drain in watery streams of red. There wasn't actually as much blood as she thought there was, and within a minute or so she glanced up at her reflection in the window. The blood was gone, but there was still some pinkish irritation on her neck where she had been scrubbing it. Otherwise, her throat was intact. Hinata let out a small sigh of relief. Maybe everything would be okay now-

"HEY! HINATA!" She felt a hand on her shoulder and was pulled around to face Ino. The blond's face was livid. "What the hell happened?! You come stumbling in here alone in the middle of the night with your throat cut and you've barely said a word!"

"I...I don't want to talk-"

"No! Nu-uh!" Ino waved one hand in front of her face, the other hand planted firmly on her hip. "I need answers, Hinata!" Hinata felt herself trembling again. She could barely keep it in anymore, but if she started to talk about it, she'd break down for sure. Just then, the front door burst open. Now that she was on the other side of it, Hinata saw it was indeed a little irritating. She felt relieved to see Kiba stumble through the doorway, Shino just behind him.

Kiba rushed forward and gripped Hinata's shoulders, shaking her roughly. Hinata felt her head wobbling around on her neck, but she must not have moved too much since Kiba's face never left her vision. "Hinata! I ran into some kind of chakra barrier, but you went through it and when I realized I couldn't, I ran to get Shino and when we got back we heard you scream and the barrier died away and then I followed your scent here!" He said it all in one sentence, somehow, and his eyes were wide in panic. He had finally stopped shaking her, and she stared at him blankly, lips parted a little. The shock had worn off now, and it was slowly starting to sink in what had happened.

She was feeling it all over again. His hands, cold on her skin. The kunai against her throat, and his teeth, sinking into her wound. Hinata couldn't stop reliving it and her body started trembling again. His hips, fitted against hers. Her blood, dripping down her neck and onto his tongue. "Itachi...Uchiha...Itachi..." She whispered, eyes squeezed shut.

Silence met her words. "Uchiha Itachi?" Ino echoed from somewhere very far away. "Sasuke-kun's brother? What do you...?"

"Met him in the forest, he was going to capture Naruto-kun. And then tonight he ambushed me when Kiba-kun and I got separated. He cut my throat...and..." Her voice trailed away. She didn't want to mention how he had licked her blood or how Naruto had shown up..."Naruto-kun!" She burst out suddenly, and now Kiba looked concerned for her sanity. But she didn't care.

"Naruto-kun showed up, and Itachi vanished, but he's probably still there, we have to make sure he's okay!" She had just abandoned Naruto there, all alone. What if the whole thing had been set up so Itachi could capture Naruto?! Hinata actually made to start towards the door, but Kiba grabbed her wrist.

"Hinata, i'm sure Naruto's fine. I'll go check, okay? Ino, come with me. Shino, can you take Hinata back home?"

Ino nodded, and followed Kiba out the door, leaving Shino and Hinata alone in the kitchen. Hinata stared at the place Kiba had been standing a moment ago, breathing heavily. "Come on, Hinata." Shino said gently.

"You...You guys don't believe me..." Hinata whispered, looking at Shino with wide eyes.

He didn't reply right away, merely stared at her with an impassive expression. "It's highly unlikely Itachi could have gotten inside the village..." When Hinata's shoulder's sagged with disappointment, Shino redirected his words. "Although it's not impossible. And there's no reason for you to have lied about such a thing." Hinata smiled faintly, and after a moment, Shino mirrored the gesture. "Shall we get you home then?" He asked, and Hinata nodded.

"But uhm...I really don't want to talk to anyone else about this. Especially not Tousan." Shino nodded in understanding.

"We'll figure something out. But you do need to report this to Hokage-sama."

Hinata bit her lip, fidgeting. "O-Okay...I will."

"Promise?"

"Hai, I promise."

"Then I won't say anymore about it."

* * *

Hinata and Shino had managed to get inside the compound, then Hinata left Shino behind and wove her way to her bedroom. She climbed through the window, landing lightly in her room. She was just wondering how she would explain her absence to her father when she realized there was someone in her bed. Warily, she approached, pulling back the covers, and gaped at the person lying there in confusion. It was herself. "Uhm..." She prodded the girl's shoulder, and the fake Hinata opened one eye, then sat up and smiled. There was a small puff of smoke, then Tenten released the henge. 

"Hey Hinata-chan."

"Tenten! How did you..?"

"When Kiba came back to get Shino he asked me to cover for you. So I did."

"Wow...Thank you Tenten." Hinata smiled, and the brunette shrugged.

"Not a problem. You owe me one though." Tenten said brightly, then left the room the way Hinata had come in. The heiress sighed, then carefully changed out of her kimono. It was much easier to get out of the elaborate dress than get into it. Once she was in her nightclothes, she flopped onto her bed. Hoping Kiba and Ino had found Naruto safely, she remembered Naruto's lips against hers, and drifted off to sleep within seconds.

**Author: I tend to get sidetracked when I write and forget about things, so if you notice something that kind of contradicts previous stuff in the story, let me know please. And the characters might get a little OOC, but I do my best so just enjoy, yeah? Anywho. I disclaim all characters, since they're not mine. Review please. It brightens my day and makes me want to write more. n.n **


	3. Arrival

**Author: Patience, Sasuke will be in the story starting this chapter. I don't really want to rush stuff, so just wait. He'll be a main character soon enough. n.n And it might seem like ther****e's facts missing, but i'm trying to make this so there aren't any major spoilers. If you're up to date on the anime, you'll be fine. (It is hard though, for those of you who are current on the manga. Believe me, I know. x3 ) Read and Review please. AAAAnd I got lazy and uploaded this chapter before it was really done. But oh well. **

**That outfit Neji gives her is based on the fanart piece. You guys probably know the one. **

"Naruto! Hey Naruto!" Kiba was shouting long before they were within earshot of the blond's apartment. Ino bolted along behind him, barely able to keep up. The dog guy was faster than she had thought he was.

"Kiba! Wait up!"

The caninelike shinobi cast an irritated glance over his shoulder, then stopped walking, folding his arms with a slight scowl on his face. Akamaru skidded to a halt beside him, following his partner's gaze back to Ino. "You're going too slow!"

Ino rolled her eyes, drawing even with him. "Well sorry! But I seriously doubt an Akatsuki got into the village and you're running like your life depends on it!" She bent over, clutching a stitch in her side, and earned herself another glare from Kiba.

"That's just pathetic! We haven't even been running for five minutes and you're already out of breath?" Before Ino could give a snappy retort, Kiba had lifted the kunoichi and draped her over one shoulder. "We'll be faster this way."

"HEY!" Ino flailed furiously, but the next moment clung to Kiba's shirt as he took off at a dead sprint down the street. There was a faint smirk on the boy's face at Ino's small screams of panic whenever he turned too sharply. By the time they reached Naruto's apartment, it was still only around ten o'clock. Kiba let out a small sigh of relief he hadn't realized he had been holding in once he sensed the blond's chakra inside. He placed Ino back down on the ground, where she proceeded to glare at him. He ignored the kunoichi, striding forward to Naruto's front door. He lifted his hand and rapped sharply a few times.

A heartbeat later there was a loud crash, followed by an equally loud thump. Someone shouted, and there was a burst of chakra. Suddenly, there was a new presence in the room. One far more powerful than Naruto. Kiba looked to Ino, whose eyes had grown wide, all traces of irritation gone from her face.

"Naruto!" Kiba rammed his shoulder into the door, which imploded into the apartment, shortly followed by the two shinobi, who halted as soon as they had crossed into the room. Naruto was half crouched on one knee, gripping his stomach tightly with his right arm. Kiba could smell the blood before he saw it, it's flow barely stemmed by the boy's arm. His gaze shifted to the room's other occupant, a tall man with dark hair and a black cloak decorated with red clouds. _Akatsuki, _Kiba's brain told him instantly. _Hinata was right! _He drew a kunai from the pouch on his leg, and Akamaru hovered by his right side, hackles raised and teeth bared.

The Akatsuki turned to look at the two newcomers, and it was Ino who made the connection. "It's Itachi! It has to be!" She hissed to Kiba, who tightened his grip on the kunai. Before anyone could move, Naruto had launched to his feet, throwing a wildly miscalculated punch at the older Uchiha, who turned on the spot so quickly that not even Akamaru was able to see it. He grabbed Naruto's fist in one hand, then bent it backwards so a sickening crack rent the air. Naruto let out a shout of pain, and Itachi shifted his grip, moving his weight to one leg and swinging his arm through the air. Naruto's feet were wrenched from the ground, and he was flung into and through the wall of his apartment. The boy hit the ground hard, skidding along the dirt several feet until he came to a stop against the building across the street from him. Even then, his back hit so hard there was a dent in the plaster.

"Naruto!" Kiba shouted again, and without thinking, he sprang forward before Itachi could follow Naruto through the wall. Ino darted outside, around the building, and to Naruto's side. He had clearly been caught by surprise. Most likely about to go to sleep. He didn't even have his kunai case on him. Urgently, she lifted her hands and focused on the medical ninjutsu she had learned. A moment passed, maybe two, while she focused as hard as she could to close the gash in his stomach. But even as she watched, a strange sort of red chakra surrounded the wound and it sealed itself. Naruto gave a small moan, stirring as the red chakra surrounded it's body. It was startling different from the chakra he had possessed earlier, and Ino moved away from him, reluctant to be near such intense chakra.

Could this be the chakra of the nine-tails that was sealed inside Naruto? As she started to ponder that, she felt a shift from inside Naruto's house. Kiba and Akamaru had taken on their ultimate fighting forms. Ino looked around. So soon? Was Itachi really that powerful? Her answer came in the form of an explosion from the apartment. With a cry of surprise, Ino turned away, shielding her face from the explosion with her arms. When the light faded, she stood quickly. "Kiba?!" There was no answer from the settling dust, and for several terrifying moments she stared at the wreckage of the apartment building. Finally, something started to stir. Feeling heartened, Ino called out again. "Kiba?"

But instantly, she knew something was wrong. The person emerging from the dust was certainly not Kiba. Plus, there was no dog at his side. Ino grasped for her radio, and lifted it to her lips. "This is Yamanaka Ino, i'm outside the residence of Uzumaki Naruto and we are under attack by the Akatsuki, most likely Uchiha Itachi. Inuzuka Kiba is presumed unconscious, requesting immediate backup!" She blurted it all out quickly, since Itachi was drawing closer now. But she wasn't sure if the message had gone through or not. Ino flung down the radio when he was within five feet and drew several shuriken, moving to stand in front of the still immobile Naruto. Itachi stopped. He hadn't wanted to cause a huge commotion, which was precisely why Kisame wasn't with him. The shark man was waiting in the forest. He hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should just kill the girl. Especially since she had just radioed in his presence.

"I'm here for the Jinchuuriki." He said flatly, then continued forward. If the girl moved, then fine. But if not, he'd eliminate her. He saw what she was about to do, her outline merely a shadow, and sighed. So she was going to try and fight him? Very well then. He made a handsign before she had even lifted her arm to throw the shuriken, and a clone of himself appeared behind her, between her and Naruto. The clone exploded, and Itachi jumped back nimbly to avoid the blast. Ino was flung forward, her vision erupting in white stars as she left the ground. She wasn't aware of landing, since the impact was enough to knock her unconscious. Naruto was lifted bodily from the ground and flung back into the building behind him, deepening the crater in the cement. He gave a small groan, the red chakra swirling faster around him.

Itachi moved towards the boy silently, then stopped when his eyes snapped open. Their irises were completely red, and the whisker like marks on his cheeks had darkened, branching out. "Hm." Itachi frowned very faintly, pausing. Naruto was standing now, his fists clenched. This guy...he was the one who made Sasuke's life a living hell. And now, he was after him too? The Kyuubi's chakra was flowing through him, and he fought to keep it under control, but after a moment gave it up. He had taken enough of a beating that he was mentally exhausted, and he sank into the recesses of his own mind, letting Kyuubi have control of his body. The red chakra surrounded him and spread out from his back, forming a long tail. His arm jerked up, parallel to the ground, and his fingers twitched, beginning to form the rasengan in his palm.

Itachi watched the boy for a few seconds, then decided this was becoming way too much trouble. If the other two hadn't had shown up, he would have already been finished within moments. He decided to end this now. The Jinchuuriki's capture was certainly worth the use of his Mangekyou. He reached into his bloodline limit, and felt the shift in his eyes. The boy met Itachi's eyes, and was instantly caught. It was curious...Itachi had never used the genjutsu on the kyuubi. And although Naruto was mostly immobile in the world of Tsukuyomi, he was able to stir and struggle, which was more than anyone else could say in such a jutsu. He felt a smirk touch his face, and drew his katana in the genjutsu created vision.

* * *

Hinata sat upright in bed, panting heavily. "Naruto-kun!" She breathed, then looked towards her door, where thundering footsteps were racing by. She could have sworn she had been watching Naruto get attacked. Assuming it was a dream, she tried to calm herself down, then heard a snatch of the conversation outside. 

"...Give their position?!"

"Yeah, right by the Uzumaki's place!"

"Which team is going?"

"Hokage-sama herself and Jiraiya are on their way there now! She said to have Hiashi-sama and the other clan leaders come too!" The two voices faded, most likely going down the hall to alert her father to the situation.

Hinata swung her legs out of bed, and scrambled to her closet. She knew it was foolish to try and interfere, but she promised herself she wouldn't get in the way. She refused to inconvenience people anymore. She would help this time, she'd make sure no one was killed. She dressed in under ten seconds and grabbed her kunai case on the way out, strapping it to her leg. She bolted out into the hallway, deciding she had gone out her window enough in the past few weeks. Before anyone could see her and warn her to stay behind, she had run out into the courtyard and set off at a dead sprint towards Naruto's house.

How long would it take Tsunade and the others to get there? Clearly, they were worried enough about the presence of an Akatsuki to send the most elite ninja in the village to fight just one. It was stupid to think she could take out Itachi on her own, and she didn't plan to even try. In all honesty she didn't want to see him ever again. But if they didn't get there in time...And the Hyuuga estate was much closer to Naruto's place than the Hokage mansion. She increased her pace, adrenaline taking over the fatigue she felt somewhere in the back of her mind.

When she rounded the corner, she knew instantly something horrible had happened. Naruto's building...it wasn't even /there/. It was a pile of rubble. And yes, that was /his/ presence. Along with Naruto's, and one that felt vaguely familiar but not enough to identify the chakra signature. She didn't even think of using her Byakugan, which she would realize later was a serious error in judgement, but instead simply raced on ahead until the scene came into view. Ino was lying some ways away on the ground, but she wasn't dead. Hinata's heart skipped a beat when she saw Naruto, lying unconscious with blood on his clothes. And if Ino was there, then Kiba must be around too. Praying he wasn't inside the wreckage of the house, she turned her gaze to the last two people conscious at the scene, now a little ways away from Naruto himself.

One was Itachi, a kunai up near his chest and held against the katana of his opponent, whom Hinata couldn't see clearly through the dust and darkness. Both shinobi-both Uchihas, were straining to press their respective blades into the other's throat. Suddenly, Itachi seemed to gain a boost of power and shoved the other back as black flames erupted from him. But the other person seemed to have anticipated this, as he had sprung from the ground. Itachi grabbed the other's ankle and tried to throw him into the ground. There was a puff of smoke, and the other shinobi vanished, leaving Itachi holding nothing more than a log.

Hinata lifted her eyebrows as she suddenly recognized the ninja Itachi was fighting. He skidded to a halt on the ground, half crouched, and she recognized his face as his hair shifted in the moonlight. "Sasuke-kun?"

* * *

When he released it, Itachi watched Naruto collapse to the ground. But he waited a moment, making sure the red chakra had completely dissipated before moving towards him. Before he could reach out to touch the Jinchuuriki, he saw the shadow of the chidori across the ground, just before it was actually there. Irritated, but also now amused at the person who had arrived, he sprang backwards out of the way. The chidori exploded upwards out of the ground towards him, and he formed a series of rapid handsigns, vanishing and reappearing somewhere a safe distance away as Sasuke dropped from the trees. 

"Itachi!" Sasuke hissed, reaching over one shoulder and drawing his katana. Neither fought with genjutsu, at least not this time, or at least not yet. The fight had scarcely started when Itachi stopped suddenly, turning towards the girl who stood down the street. A cold grin crossed his face as he looked at Hinata.

"Ah...I suppose that's my cue..." He purred. If she had arrived, it would only be a few seconds before the reinforcements got there. He was gone in a flash of light, and Sasuke let out a growl of fury, glancing at Hinata. He didn't greet her or acknowledge her presence, merely shot a brief look at Naruto, then turned away and started back towards the trees.

"W-Wait!" Hinata darted forward, but Sasuke ignored her. He hadn't missed the look on his brother's face when he saw Hinata, and although he knew that the Hyuuga girl probably wasn't stupid enough to get involved with his aniki, he wasn't going to stop and chat with her. Then again, getting involved with her would certainly annoy Itachi, especially if the weasel was interested in her. Sasuke dismissed the thought the moment it surfaced. He might be a cold hearted bastard, but he certainly wasn't one to stoop that low."Hey!" Hinata burst into a run, reaching out and closing her fingers around the Uchiha's wrist. "Aren't you going to stay?!" Sasuke turned to glance at her over one shoulder, and the coldness of his stare made her release him. "I...I mean...Naruto-kun went through so much for you! Don't you think he deserves to see you before you go running off again?"

"No."

The response was so sharp, so cold, that Hinata actually took a step back. She felt a very familiar urge to crawl into a corner and not say anything else. "B-But..." She started to protest, and Sasuke began walking away again. She didn't go after him, just watched him walk away, irritation and surprise flowering inside her. She decided that now wasn't the time, and turned around. Her first response was to rush to Naruto's side, but she could tell he was alive, and although Kyuubi seemed dormant at the moment, the blond's injuries certainly weren't life-threatening. So, fighting her natural instincts, she forced herself to turn to the others. Ino was alive too, which left Kiba. If he wasn't out here, then...Hinata turned to the remnants of Naruto's building, and finally seemed to remember her Byakugan.

Activating it with one hand, she focused, searching for any hints of life in the rubble. There was a mouse, and a few large insects...but that was all. Panicked, she searched harder, until...there! A heartbeat, faint, but present. It was pushing blood through someone's body at a very sluggish rate, and the more she focused, the more she could see. "Kiba!" She rushed forward, pulling at the slabs of cement. She managed to clear enough where she found Kiba's hand, then pushed chakra into her arms for the strength to lift more debris out of the way. When she had exposed her teammate's face, she realized something else. Akamaru...Kiba never went into a fight without him. So he had to be here. But then, why hadn't she seen him with the Byakugan?

He couldn't be...dead. That wasn't possible. She activated the Byakugan again, and searched more, pushing as much chakra to her eyes as she could. She could see smaller insects now, and after several heart wrenching moments, she sensed the large dog a short distance away. Scrambling over to him, she began pulling wreckage off of the dog. Her hands were beginning to shake, and when she sensed a sudden surge in chakra, she nearly panicked, and whirled around, Byakugan still active, only to see that the reinforcements had finally arrived. Tsunade and Jiraiya were at the forefront of them, with Kakashi just behind and several others in the group.

Ino and Chouji's fathers moved towards the blond kunoichi, while Tsunade and Jiraiya went to Naruto's side. Hinata thoroughly hoped her friend wouldn't be hospitalized again. But he was stirring, and...yes, she could see one of his eyes opening, a faint grin on his face. He tried to sit up, but Tsunade pushed him back down. "Over here!" Hinata called out. Kakashi and Hiashi looked over to her, and moved quickly to the wreckage of the building. "Kiba's trapped," Hinata motioned to where her teammate lay under the large slab of wall.

"Hokage-sama! He's injured!" Kakashi and Hiashi's combined effort managed to wrench the concrete off Kiba and Akamaru, and Tsunade rushed over, casting a faint frown at Hinata. But she didn't comment on the Hyuuga's presence, kneeling by the fallen shinobi. Her hands began glowing brightly, and Hinata shifted her gaze to where Ino's father was carefully pulling the kunoichi from the tree. Hinata felt a small shiver. Itachi had done all of this...all by himself. And he had hardly seemed affected by it at all.

She sensed someone just behind her, and turned to see Naruto standing at her side. She felt an extreme blush rise in her face. The last time she had seen Naruto, she had kissed him. He, however, didn't seem to be thinking about that. He was watching Kiba with a frown on his face that was quickly turning to a scowl. His fists were clenched. "What the hell is going on, huh?! I'm so sick of this guy!" Jiraiya watched him, expression unreadable.

"Come on, Naruto. You can stay with me for a while." It was obvious Naruto couldn't go back to his house. But the blond shrugged off Jiraiya's offer.

"No! Why are they after me so much?! I'm tired of it! All people see is the Kyuubi, they don't see me at all!" Naruto's voice has grown in volume and he was shouting now. Everyone was watching him except Tsunade, who was still focused on healing Kiba and Akamaru. But the set of her shoulders suggested she was listening. _I care about you, Naruto-kun. I see you. _Hinata wanted more than anything to say the words out loud, but she couldn't. Just thinking of them made her feel faint.

"Naruto, you need to be quiet. I have to focus, and if you continue speaking so loudly, I won't be able to save Kiba's life." Tsunade's voice was sharp, but not unkind. Naruto looked as if he was going to start shouting again, but then his shoulders sagged, and he fell silent. "Everyone please, back away."

The group complied. Ino and Chouji's fathers had already left, along with Ino, and now Jiraiya and Naruto were moving to a respectable distance. Hiashi grabbed Hinata's arm in a iron grip, and the girl winced. "We're going home." He said coldly, and started to turn away, but Hinata made up her mind, pulling back.

"W-Wait! Kakashi-sensei?" Hiashi was curious enough to let Hinata stay behind, and frowned at Kakashi as the masked ninja turned to face them.

"Yes, Hinata?"

"I uhm...By the time I got here, uhm...Uchiha Itachi, he was...uhm..." Hinata fidgeted, feeling the eyes of almost everyone upon her. She noticed Naruto wasn't watching her, he was still fuming silently, but at her next words he looked up sharply. "He was fighting Sasuke-kun."

"WHAT?!" There was no mistaking /that/ voice. But Hinata didn't turn to look at Naruto.

"Itachi left pretty quickly, but then Sasuke left right after him. I just...I thought you should know. He's alive. He's on his own."

Kakashi blinked, then after a moment nodded. "Thank you, Hinata. We'll definitely-"

"Are you sure?!" Naruto rushed forward and grabbed Hinata's shoulders, staring into her face. "Sasuke was here?! Really?!"

Hinata's face turned red again. She remembered mere hours ago, leaning in, her lips touching his...She couldn't cling to consciousness anymore, and sank to the ground, blackness closing over.

* * *

Hinata woke up halfway through the next day, staring up at her ceiling. Her hair was plastered to her face, and her eyelids still felt horribly heavy. She sat up slowly, feeling like she had fallen off a building. "Hinata!" Oh great. Just what everyone wants to wake up to. The voice of her father, voice loud and filled with disapproval. "Get up! Tsunade wants to speak to you!" Hinata rubbed her forehead, pushing her hair out of her face. 

She swung her feet out of bed, preparing to stand up, when her door was kicked open. "Tousan?" She asked feebly, the fury on Hiashi's face was staggering.

"And this time, don't get in everyone's way. You could've gotten Naruto killed last night." He turned, preparing to leave, and Hinata felt heat rise in her face, guilt washing over her.

But she hadn't been a hindrance last night, had she? She hadn't really helped. Sasuke had been the one to interfere with Itachi, and she had kind of scared both of them off, in a way. Was making Sasuke leave a hindrance? She bit her lip, springing to her feet. "T-Tousan!" She tried to make her voice sound firm, confident, but the stutter betrayed her true emotions.

Hiashi turned to look at her, face impassive. Hinata forced herself to speak, afraid her voice would desert her. "I...I wasn't a hindrance! I wasn't in the...in the way!" She tried not to look at her father's face, and when she risked a glance felt an icy chill spread down her back, and quickly looked away.

"Hn." Hiashi said after a moment, starting to turn away once more.

"N-no!" It came out as a squeak, and Hinata cleared her throat as Hiashi moved out into the hallway. She darted after him, and registered Neji somewhere behind her. "No!" Her voice was strong this time, for which she was grateful. "I'm not worthless, Tousan! I'm not weak!" But Hiashi continued walking away, which somehow gave her more courage. "I'm not going to get in the way! I'm going to get strong!" He kept going. "I'm going to be strong!" The last words were shouted, and Hinata felt a great shuddering breath surge up in her lungs.

Panting, she let her gaze fall. Hiashi had just...ignored her. Had she even said all those things? When she turned around and saw the surprise on her cousin's face, she knew she had indeed said everything. She fidgeted, feeling red again. "Do you...uhm...know where i'm supposed to meet Hokage-sama?" She whispered. Neji nodded after a moment.

"Probably at her mansion."

Well, Hinata had kind of guessed that. But it was nice to be sure. "And do you know /why/ she wants to see me?" She was surprised at the sudden fire in her voice. It certainly hadn't been there a moment before. Another surprise was Neji's answer, which came immediately this time.

"Probably to send you on a mission as a substitute for Sakura. That's what Tsunade said last time, right?" Hinata blinked, looking at her cousin in puzzlement. The other Hyuuga spoke again. "I was listening outside the door."

The heiress squared her shoulders, curling her fingers into fists to stop them from shaking. "Okay. Then...Then i'm going to go meet her." She started to turn away, but Neji's voice interrupted her.

"You may as well take this."

Hinata looked back at Neji, and noticed a box beneath his left arm that she hadn't seen before. It was roughly two or three feet wide and the same distance across. Puzzled, she reached out for the box, which Neji left in her hands then promptly turned away. "W-wait!" Neji, unlike her father, stopped walking. "What is it?"

"Your birthday present. You don't have to take it." He started to move away again, then added over his shoulder something that confused Hinata even more. "Tenten helped me find it." Neji vanished around the corner, leaving Hinata to ponder his words. He had gotten her a present...?

She walked back into her room, closing her door behind her, and lifted off the top of the box. But her puzzlement only grew. Clothes? From Neji? Neji, her cousin, had bought her clothes? The pants were on top, a standard shinobi issue that reached her calves, the cloth dyed black. When she pulled those out of the way, she saw a black and white yin yang woven into the shirt.

Holding the top up to her shoulders, she saw that the top half was white, and the bottom roughly the same shade as her hair, with indigo trim around the collar and sleeves. It was in her size, which was the most impressive part. She figured that was what Tenten had helped with. She changed into the clothes quickly, making a mental note to thank Neji if she saw him on the way out.

But she didn't. She didn't see anyone except for Hanabi, who simply gave a curt nod to acknowledge her presence. But Hinata didn't expect anything better from her, and set out for the looming Hokage mansion.


	4. Kiss

**Author: Okay. Things are going to start picking up, but the characters are also going to start developing. Which means that Hinata might get a little OOC, but she's still in character, I think. I do my best. Anywho. Read and enjoy. And review too.  
**

It was as Neji had said. Tsunade had gathered Hinata, Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi together. Kakashi hovered somewhere in the background, with Sai and Naruto to Hinata's right. The Hyuuga had her hands clasped in the small of her back, and Naruto was squirming around, eager to get moving. Sai was impassive, as was Kakashi. Hinata kept her gaze down, not wanting to look at anyone else in the room, even when Tsunade began speaking. "Inuzuka Kiba is in critical but stable condition. My apprentice is still in a coma, and Yamanaka Ino has suffered a mild concussion. She will need at least a week of rest before returning to active duty. That's three Chuunin level leaf shinobi who have been incapacitated by Uchiha Itachi, not including Naruto." The Hokage inclined her head to the latter, who seemed to actually be listening now.

"It's unacceptable. I had originally planned to send a group of ANBU black ops, but..."

"But I wanted to catch the slimy bastard myself!"

Tsunade sweat dropped when Naruto interjected, then continued to speak over him loudly. "However, I don't want a direct confrontation with him if possible. The four of you are to patrol. This is a surveillance mission only, understand?" Her words were directed at all of them, but it was blatantly obvious that she was speaking only to Naruto, who was glaring at the blond woman. "You will not leave the borders of the fire country under any circumstances. If you are separated, return to the village immediately. If you locate either Hoshigaki Kisame or Itachi, radio in their positions then return to Konoha. Are these conditions clear?"

Before Naruto could protest, Sai nodded. "Yes, Hokage-sama."

"Good. The four of you will leave immediately, and before you say anything, Hinata. Yes, you are the only one who can replace Sakura at the moment. Ino, as I said, is out of commission, and since one of the members of your own team is unconscious, it made perfect sense for you to complete this team."

"B-But...what about Shino?" Hinata's voice came out as a half whispered squeak, and when she saw Tsunade's eye twitch, she cut off her voice and blushed, looking down. She felt Sai give her a strange look, but otherwise didn't say anything. Naruto was still glowering on Sai's other side, and Kakashi wasn't saying anything.

"You're excused. Head out and report back in five days if you haven't found anything." Kakashi and Sai nodded, then turned to leave. Naruto gave an exasperated sigh before turning to follow the other two. Hinata lingered, and Tsunade shot her another glare.

"No, it's...It's not about me being on the team." Hinata said, bringing her hands around in front of her. "If we...If we encounter Sasuke-kun again, what should we do?"

That stopped Naruto cold, and he spun around to face Tsunade, his cerulean gaze fierce. Tsunade's expression told Hinata she wished she could have instructed the group about this without Naruto being there. "Sasuke is an S-class missing ninja. If it is at all reasonable, capture him and bring him back for conviction. However, he is an extremely dangerous-"

"What are you saying!" Hinata winced at the volume of Naruto's voice. "We're supposed to attack Sasuke! Then bring him back home only to be arrested!" He lifted an accusing finger, pointing at Tsunade. "Sasuke's our friend, he shouldn't be treated that way!"

Tsunade's gaze had turned icy. "Hinata, would you give me a moment alone with Naruto please?" She said stiffly. Hinata nodded, and rushed from the room into the hallway with Sai and Kakashi. They glanced at her curiously, and the moment the door shut behind her shouting erupted from the Hokage's office. The precise words were inaudible, but the general feeling was definitely hostile. Roughly five minutes later the door burst open, causing Hinata to jump. The three in the hallway looked up as Naruto stormed out. Tsunade slammed the door shut behind him, and for a moment there was a period of awkward silence. Hinata wasn't sure, but she thought she saw a bit of red in Naruto's eyes. Her heart stared racing when he turned his gaze onto her.

"And what was that about? You really hate us all that much that you didn't want to be on the same team as us!" He was less than two feet away, and although he wasn't quite shouting, there was a certain anger in his voice that made the fire in Hinata's cheeks glow even more. One week ago, she would have been thrilled to be on a team with Naruto. And on some level, she still was. But she had kissed him. And now just being in the same room as him made things incredibly awkward for her. The thing that bothered her most was that Naruto didn't even seem to remember it. Maybe it hadn't really happened at all.

"No, that's not it, Naruto-kun. I was just...I don't think i'm right for this mission..."

"YEAH! Well why the hell not! Would you rather be in a coma like Sakura!"

"Naruto, that's enough." Kakashi frowned at the blond, while Hinata felt guilt well up in her chest. She dropped her gaze, taking a step back from the group and staring deliberately at the floor as if that could somehow make her invisible. The silence that followed was worse than the one previously, and finally Hinata flicked her eyes up to Naruto. The violet met the cerulean, and Naruto sighed.

"Hey, i'm sorry..." He said quietly, lacing his hands behind his head. "I'm just...I get a little upset talking about Sasuke, you know?"

Hinata nodded, but the redness of her face hadn't gone away. "All right then, let's get going." Kakashi grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him away down the hall. Hinata didn't follow right away. Not until Sai gave her a nudge on the shoulder. He asked if she was all right, and she nodded again, then set off after Kakashi and Naruto. Sai paused a moment then followed behind her.

* * *

Hinata had started wearing the new shinobi outfit Neji had gotten her, and had taken to bearing her forehead protector where it belonged, across her forehead. She also found it kept her hair out of her eyes. Predictably, no one noticed this change, although she thought maybe Neji had given her a bit of an acknowledging nod the first time he saw it.

The first day of reconnaissance passed in a series of nonexcitement. Hardly a single word was said, and the group had set out in a spiral centering around Konoha and heading out towards the border. Occasionally, Kakashi would ask Hinata to use her Byakugan to search ahead, which she always did. When the sun touched the horizon at the end of that first day, Kakashi called a halt. "I can take the first watch, then Sai, then Naruto, then Hinata." The group agreed. Naruto flopped to the ground right where he was and was asleep within seconds. Sai settled himself against a tree and did the same, while Kakashi found a place near the edge of the small clearing. It was a clear night, so there wasn't a need to set up a tent.

"Uhm, Kakashi-sensei?" Hinata approached the Jounin from the side so she wouldn't startle him, although she realized later it probably wouldn't have even been possible to catch the older shinobi by surprise. He turned to look at her. "I usually train at night...But I don't want to wake anyone else up, so uhm..."

Kakashi shrugged a little. "I'll have Naruto go get you when it's time for your watch then."

Instantly, Hinata started to shake her head, eyes wide. She didn't want to be alone with Naruto for even a second. "N-no, it's okay! I'll just, uhm..."

"It won't be a problem. And you can't just train on your own all night, not on this sort of mission. Go ahead." Kakashi turned away, and Hinata felt like she had made a serious mistake, although couldn't pinpoint exactly why. She moved away from the ANBU and out through the trees, although stayed within chakra range, so she could still sense the others.

Once upon a time, she had stripped naked and molded chakra in a waterfall. Naruto had seen her, and she had run. Then the next day, he had told Kiba about it. Hinata didn't really want that to happen again. Although, on some level, she did. Hinata blinked, actually stopping in her traces, as the thought occurred to her. She _wanted _Naruto to ogle her again?

The heiress' face flushed at the very thought, as if someone else was watching and could actually see what she wanted. But she didn't want that! No, no. Hinata was sixteen. She couldn't possibly be thinking about..._that. _Still, she couldn't help but remember something she had heard some girls outside the flower shop saying once. "Teenagers are extremely fertile." The blush on Hinata's face grew in intensity and she looked around as if worried someone could read her thoughts. When she reached a place where the trees thinned, she began focusing chakra but stopped instantly. The memory of the last time she was alone at night came rushing back and she turned to rush back to camp as fast as she could.

Her foot slipped on the loose dirt, and she fell to the ground, hard, in a way that made her feel very un-shinobilike. She scrambled up onto her feet, brushing dirt from her clothes, and cast her gaze around the clearing. Every shadow, every moving leaf, seemed like a threat. Panic welled in her chest and she looked around frantically, backing up until her shoulders connected with something. She let out a small scream and whirled around, one chakra soaked hand diving straight into the trunk of the tree that had so rudely attacked her. Hinata's eyes widened and she stared at her hand, embedded to her wrist in the bark. Wrenching her hand free, she forced herself to calm down.

'Your Byakugan, idiot.' She told herself, and activated the bloodline limit, then swept the clearing again. It was empty save a few squirrels and a bug or two. Hinata released the Byakugan and breathed a sigh of relief just when the brush behind her stirred. The heiress had psyched herself out to the point where she was ridiculously jumpy. She swung her fist around at the source of the sound, then stopped herself when she saw the flicker of cerulean eyes. "Naruto!"

She let her hand fall back to her side, and the blond blinked. "Hey, Hinata. Did I hear you scream just now?"

Hinata clasped her hands behind her back, and for whatever reason, no blush crept into her face. "Uhm...Yes...I was j-just...I kind of scared myself." Unfortunately, the stutter hadn't gone away. Oh well. Win some, lose some.

"Well why'd you do that?"

Dammit. Hinata felt her cheeks growing red. So much for not blushing..."I d-didn't do it on purpose...!"

"Oh, okay." Naruto folded his arms behind his head, grinning a little. "Kakashi-sensei said you were training out here and I couldn't sleep so I thought i'd join you."

Hinata's eyes widened a little. Naruto really was just acting like the kiss had never happened. Inwardly, she frowned. Maybe it _hadn't_ happened. Maybe she had just run away or passed out or something. It certainly wouldn't have been the first time...

"Hey, Hinata?" Naruto cut across her inner monologue, and the Hyuuga blinked, looking up at the blond. Apparently she had been silent for a while. "I mean, if you'd rather train alone, that's cool." Naruto seemed to be squirming more than Hinata. It was clear he, personally, wasn't a big fan of training on his own.

"Oh, n-no! I don't mind!" Hinata offered a half smile, and Naruto beamed in response, then pulled out a few kunai. Hinata's eyebrows lifted in surprise and she activated her Byakugan quickly, springing back and darting to one side to avoid the knives when Naruto threw them. The blond grinned a little and leapt forward, throwing a punch at the heiress, which she was able to see coming and blocked with one hand. It happened so fast that she didnt even think about it until she threw a punch of her own.

Naruto's reflexes were good enough that he was able to catch her hand, and he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, other arm wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her body against his. "Naruto-kun!" The blond was smiling now, and he leaned in, lips touching her ear.

"I've been thinking about our kiss ever since it happened...And i've been wondering when you'll kiss me again." Hinata's eyes widened and she smiled a little.

"Really?" Her voice was breathless as Naruto shifted, pulling her closer.

"Really. But I guess i'll just have to make the first move this time." He was leaning in again, and this time his lips were brushing against hers. His hands were roaming over her body and she was absorbed in his scent, and nothing in the entire world mattered except getting impossibly close to the blond...

Suddenly, it was over.

Hinata was staring up blankly at the star-strewn sky, flat on her back and alone. "Naruto-kun...?" She murmured, sitting up. There was dirt in her hair and on her clothes, and her ankle was throbbing dully. She had knocked herself unconscious when she fell down. Great. How very dignified. Thankfully, it seemed no one was around, and her ankle definitely wasn't broken. In fact, she could stand on it without any problems. Sighing with relief, she glanced around.

Naruto wasn't there. No one was there except her. Hinata sank back to the ground, drawing her legs to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. Was she wasting her time with her pursuit of Naruto...? She...she did love him. More than anything. He could inspire her when no one else could-or would. And Naruto wasn't giving up on Sakura. He certainly had the determination to keep going. But then again, if he was never giving up on Sakura, she was probably being foolish to continue with these feelings. Hinata bit her lower lip. She had the sudden, distinct feeling that nothing was ever going to happen. He would never look at her the same way he looked at Sakura.

But Hinata had never, would never, want anyone else. He was everything to her. The heiress felt a tightness in her throat and squeezed her eyes shut, slamming one fist into the dirt by her side. Was it because Sakura was so much more powerful than her...? Hinata shook her head urgently. She couldn't doubt herself. Or her feelings. She loved Naruto. She did. And nothing was going to stop that from happening. The heiress stood, brushing herself off and wiping away the wetness on her cheeks-she refused to believe they were tears-with the heel of her hand. Quickly, she started off in the direction of their camp again, not paying much attention to where she was going. After a few moments, she stopped.

The others' chakra was in the direct opposite direction she was heading. Hinata blushed, even though there really was no one there to see her. And even if there was, there was no way that person would know she had made yet another foolish mistake. She straightened, and just as she was about to activate her byakugan to find her way back without any further error, she sensed someone in the trees behind her. The last time she had been alone at night, Itachi had shown up. And they were on a mission to try and find him. It was very possible he'd appear.

Hinata forced herself to focus enough to activate her Byakugan, although her entire body was shaking in fear. If it was Itachi...she could call for the others and they'd be there soon. But soon enough...that she wasn't sure. The moment she felt her eyes strain as chakra began flowing through them, a shuriken came whirling from the trees. She sprang back just in time to avoid it, but lost her concentration. The chakra faded from her blood and she looked around wildly. She doubted she'd be able to focus again. "Who's there?" She tried to make her voice sound confident, and thought she was pretty successful.

There was no answer. Hinata felt a shred of relief, since if it had been Itachi, he probably would have revealed himself. But there was still definitely someone out there. Someone who didn't want her to see them. She made up her mind and opened her mouth to call for the others, even though it made her feel a little incompetent. "Kakashi sensei-!" Before the words had actually left her throat, she perceived a faint motion in the trees, then an overwhelming feeling of compression hit her upper body. She fell to the ground, immobile, and realized a moment later that there was someone pinning her there.

She caught a glimpse of sharingan red before her assailant tried to pull her forehead protector down over her eyes. Terror sprouted from out of nowhere. It had to be Itachi. He had found her, and she hadn't managed to call for the others. She wrenched her shoulder free, throwing out her forearm into the other's chest. But they must have seen the movement, for her arm didn't connect as solidly as she would have liked.

She opened her mouth to cry out again, but there was suddenly a hand over her lips. Hinata twisted her hips, trying to get an even footing on the dirt, and lifted her free hand, scrabbling at her forehead protector to remove it. Her opponent grasped her wrist quickly, and wrestled her onto her stomach, that one hand pinned behind her back.

Hinata kicked out randomly, and a slight grunt from over her head-along with the feeling of her foot hitting something-let her know she had made contact with the other's ankle. It was enough of a distraction for her to get both her feet underneath her. The heiress felt one of the enemy shinobi's hand on the back of her neck, searching for the nerve that would knock her unconscious. He only couldn't find it right away because she was moving around so much. Desperately, she shoved an unnecessary amount of chakra into her feet, and leapt away from her attacker. The move sent her flying into the air a good three feet, and she hit the ground hard, not able to land correctly. She managed to rise onto her knees, then to her feet.

Quickly, she tore the forehead protector from her eyes, even though she knew the person she was about to face was Itachi. Before she had regained her sight, she had already started to cry out for the others. But the plea died in her throat. It was an Uchiha that she faced, but it wasn't Itachi. "S...Sasuke-kun..." The boy was standing up, and now stared at her evenly. "Why were you...why'd you attack me?" Tsunade's words came back to her, but she hesitated. She didn't want to hurt him, even if he had just tried to hurt her.

"I don't want you telling anyone that I was here. If you do, i'll kill you." It was no idle threat, but Hinata felt a little angry. He was just going to stalk off again, and she wasn't really okay with that. Him being gone was causing Naruto intense unhappiness, and here he was, less than a mile away, but he wasn't even going to tell her why.

"No," Hinata darted forward, blocking his path. The glare in his eyes that had paralyzed her before wasn't quite as intimidating this time, not with the thought of Naruto fresh in her mind. "I...I have orders from Tsunade to apprehend you! And I can't let you walk away." She fought hard to keep her voice even, but couldn't keep the anxiety from her eyes.

Sasuke stared at her, trying to do what he had in their last encounter and make her back off. But she didn't do it. Hinata refused to move. Finally, just when the Hyuuga thought Sasuke would attack her again, the Uchiha spoke. "I can't have anyone knowing i'm here in case it gets back to Itachi. I know he's after Naruto, so if I stay near Naruto, then i'm bound to run into Itachi eventually."

She wasn't expecting that much information, but appreciated it all the same. "Oh." Silence fell, and Sasuke didn't wait for it to stretch. Instead, he stepped around the heiress, intending to leave. "So why didn't you just kill me? They would've assumed it was Itachi and then you wouldn't have to go after him and you could go back to Konoha and live with Sakura and Naruto again!"

Sasuke stopped dead in his tracks. "Why do you care so much? It's obvious you have a thing for Naruto, but would you honestly give up your life just so he could be happy?" He turned, looking over his shoulder. "That's foolish."

His words cut straight through her, and they affected her deeply simply because she knew he was right. "I'd do anything for him." She whispered, and looked up, staring at him just as fiercely as he had stared at her a few seconds ago. "And you're his best friend! You have to come back! And what about Sakura? Don't you care for her too!"

It was possible no one had ever spoken to Sasuke this way, for there was a flicker of surprise in his eyes that Hinata might not have noticed if she hadn't grown up with her every emotion analyzed. "You're being stupid!" She didn't think such a childish insult would affect him, but he snarled a little.

"Tch." Once again, he turned away, but Hinata was experiencing a rush of adrenaline and felt less shy than she ever had. She reached out and grabbed the back of Sasuke's shirt. "What the fuck are you doing? You don't know me. Get away." He shoved her back, and Hinata, still seized by this bizarre courage, grabbed his arm in both hands and shifted her weight, flinging him over her shoulder. Instantly, she began forming handsigns.

Predictably, Sasuke twisted around and landed on his feet, throwing a punch at the center of Hinata's back. The heiress vanished, and Sasuke's fist connected with a log. Hinata reappeared a foot or so away, and threw a kunai at the Uchiha. But suddenly Sasuke was directly in front of her, and his hand was clapped over her mouth. "I'm the only one who can kill him." He growled, staring down at her. They were so close that Hinata could actually see each of his individual eyelashes. One of her arms was horizontal across her stomach, and the other was limp at her side. Her former shyness had come rushing back. "If you really care about Naruto, if you really want him to live, let me kill my older brother, and don't get in my way."

Hinata looked up at him, expecting him to vanish or run away. But he didn't. He just met her gaze. There was some strange emotion in his eyes she couldn't recognize, and it was intriguing enough to keep her from lookign away. Each held their respective positions, although Hinata's face was growing steadily more red by the second. But she didn't feel like fainting. She was just aware of the heat in her cheeks, not inhibited by it.

Sasuke leaned in a little so their gazes were at the same level, and Hinata's eyes widened a little, wondering if she should break away. The wild thought entered her mind that he was going to kiss her, but instead, he spoke. "I never did like you. You seemed a little strange." Hinata flushed fully now, feeling more embarrassed than she had earlier, but also a little irritated. It seemed like he was about to say something else, but she sensed a chakra approaching, and apparently so did he.

"Hinata?" Suddenly, Sasuke was gone, and Hinata was standing alone in the forest. She blinked, and turned just in time to see Naruto emerging.

"N-Naruto-kun?" She wondered if she was awake this time.

"Yeah, of course it's me. You all right? You look really flushed."

"I'm fine..." Hinata said quietly, fidgeting a little. _I don't want you telling anyone I was here... _Hinata decided she wouldn't tell Naruto. It wouldn't hurt anyone if they didn't know. "I'll take the n-next watch..." She had returned to normal, it seemed, and as she walked past Naruto, she felt the familiar sweep in her stomach. But somehow...It wasn't as strong as it had been before. She had a purpose. She would protect Naruto, no matter what it took.

Despite the fact that her mannerisms had returned to normal, she still felt that bizarre courage that seemed to come-now that she thought about it-from Sasuke's appearance. "Naruto...do you...Do you remember that night a few days ago?" She asked quietly. She forced herself to continue, even though she couldn't force herself to look at him. "When I...when I...uhm..." Apparently he wasn't going to help her get there. "When I k-kissed you?"

He was silent for so long that she felt compelled to look up. She wished that she hadn't. Naruto was standing there with one hand on the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. "Yeah, I remember. I just figured...you were probably just scared or something, right?" He offered a half smile, laughing a little.

Hinata felt a sharp tug in her heart, but quickly smiled. "Right. I just..." Without thinking, she formed words and lies to defend her pride and her true feelings. "Like you said, I was only scared and I wasn't thinking straight. It didn't...It didn't mean anything." She saw surprise on Naruto's face, and maybe even something else, but she didn't want to stick around to find out. Instead, she forced herself to turn away.

Her legs felt numb as she walked back towards the camp site, this time in the right direction. She could feel Naruto's puzzled gaze boring into her back, but kept her eyes focused ahead. _'Don't you dare cry,'_ She told herself. _'Not even a little bit. Crying is for when all hope is lost.'_ She lifted her chin a little as she reached the campsite again, settling herself against a tree for her watch.

She activated her Byakugan and leaned back against a tree, again deliberately not looking at Naruto when he returned a few minutes later. She thought maybe he had wanted to talk to her again, but didn't even glance in his direction. The kunoichi fidgeted until it was obvious everyone else had settled down for the night. With a quiet sigh, Hinata relaxed into the watch, focusing on not falling asleep herself. She stared out into the forest, keeping her focus wide and sharp at the same time. Slowly, the night broke into dawn. Just when Hinata thought of waking Kakashi, the Jounin sat up.

"See anything?" He asked Hinata as he nudged Sai, who was also waking up. Sai in turn moved to wake Naruto, which took a little more prodding.

Hinata hesitated for only a moment. "No, nothing." She wasn't really sure why she was protecting Sasuke. But he had a point. If Naruto did know Sasuke was anywhere nearby, he'd immediately go after him and make a big stir about it. Itachi would most certainly stay away. Although...she really wouldn't mind that. She would have been perfectly happy if she never saw Itachi again. Even if that did mean Sasuke wouldn't get his revenge. "Actually, Kakashi-sensei..." Everyone was packing up, and when I say everyone, I mean Kakashi, because Sai was still trying to wake Naruto. But now Kakashi paused, turning to look curiously at Hinata. "I uhm...I..." Kakashi frowned a little as Hinata stammered, although the expression was barely visible.

The kunoichi looked past Kakashi into the trees, and saw again the look in Sasuke's eyes. He had been trusting her, that's what it was. He was trusting that she would help him. And would she? Did she even care about which Uchiha lived or died? She wasn't sure. But she was sure that, given the chance, Itachi would kill Naruto. Sasuke wouldn't. Not in the same capacity, anyway. "Nevermind." Kakashi gave her a strange look, but didn't comment, merely nodded curtly and went to assist Sai in waking Naruto. Hinata turned away, biting her lower lip. It couldn't hurt to have another person around who wanted to kill Itachi, even if that person was an S class missing ninja.

* * *

The group set out again, moving around the edge of the fire country in a secure perimeter. Once, they ran across another ANBU group, but after Kakashi spoke with them, they went their separate ways. Kakashi was in the forefront of their formation, with Hinata just behind him, then Naruto, then Sai bringing up the rear. Often, Kakashi would have Hinata scan ahead, otherwise his Sharingan was active, looking ahead for anyone about to cross their path, which was how they avoided a confrontation with their own ANBU.

The nights followed the same procedure, with the watch shifts never alternating. Occasionally, some form of wildlife would appear, and once Hinata swore she sensed Sasuke, but the presence vanished the moment she tried to focus on it. There was nothing to break the monotony of the mission, and Naruto was clearly wishing something would happen. But he managed to keep himself under control. Sai voiced an opinion to Hinata under his breath while Kakashi was scanning the trees and Naruto stood by, fidgeting. "I think Tsunade told him that if he did anything rash he wouldn't be allowed on any more missions above D rank."

Hinata blinked, then smiled a little. That sounded like a foolproof way to make sure Naruto behaved himself. Unfortunately, after a week had passed, she too began to get a little bored. But there was also a part of her that enjoyed this kind of thing. She never went off to train again at nights, and wondered why she had been so stupid as to try it that first time. So she felt safe for the most part, except when she had to keep watch alone at night.

Finally, the group had circled the border of the fire country in a time span of eight days. They approached Konoha from the front, and Hinata thought she felt something falling away when they drew closer, but didn't see anything. Suddenly, she wondered if it had been Sasuke. And if it was, had he been following them the entire time? How had the others not noticed? Especially Kakashi, who had a sharingan...It didn't make sense. Maybe she was losing her mind.

The group made their way to the Hokage's mansion, Naruto dragging his feet a little. But by the time they were giving their non eventful report to Tsunade, he was back to his energetic self.

"So you saw nothing? No unusual chakra signatures or dead patrol guards?" Tsunade seemed a little put out, and Kakashi nodded silently. With a sigh, Tsunade stood. "I'm sending the four of you out again, tomorrow night. This time, don't report back until you've found something of interest." She moved to the door and held it open for them. "In the meantime, i'd suggest getting some rest." The four filed out the door which was clearly their dismissal, and started to go their separate ways, when Tsunade called out to Hinata. "Are you sure you didn't see anything, Hinata?"

Hinata hurried away from Naruto, making her way towards the hospital. "Kiba Inuzuka's room?" Repeated the nurse behind reception, running her finger down a long list of names. Hinata nodded mutely until the nurse gave her a room number, and Hinata made her way down the linoleum covered floor, footsteps echoing and her sandals squeaking a little on the polished ground. The doors passed by, and Hinata started counting, following the nurse's instructions and paying attention to the room numbers. Finally, she reached the one that the nurse had specified. Something made her hesitate before going directly into the room. She normally would have just walked in.

But today, she paused. And she leaned to one side, looking through the window built into the door itself. Kiba was lying motionless, all sorts of complicated looking machines hooked up to him and keeping him alive. Akamaru had squeezed himself into the room, and his large head was resting on his master's feet, eyes big and sad. None of this caused her to panic or pull away. It was the sight of someone else in the room.

Shino was sitting with his jacket and sunglasses off, his hands gripping his forehead. Hinata had only seen him like this a few times. And for some reason the sight of him so clearly disturbed made her uncomfortable, like she was looking at something very private. She frowned, not wanting to interrupt, and turned away.

Hinata wasn't sure where to go now. She did _not _want to go home. That wasn't an option. She'd just...go somewhere. She wasn't sure. The Hyuuga turned around, starting back lethargically towards the front desk. A flicker of blond caught her eye, and there was a sudden sweeping sensation in her stomach. Hinata turned to look, and saw Naruto through one of the windows in the room opposite Kiba's. She edged across the hallway, trying her best to keep her footsteps silent.

This was Sakura's room, she realized suddenly. And Hinata felt a deep sense of foreboding in her chest and stomach, but couldn't stop herself. She could see Naruto and Sakura in there, Sakura was clearly awake. Suddenly, Hinata let out a sharp sound between a gasp and a sob.

Hinata sprinted back down the hall, her shoes squeaking all the louder now that she wasn't paying attention to them. She nearly ran into the nurse out front, who had stood from her desk, filing some papers or doing something of equal mundaneness. "S...Sorry!" Hinata panted, nearly falling over in her attempt to not run into the nurse. Which involved her grabbing onto the edge of the desk. There was a sharp pain in her wrist, but she ignored it.

"Are you all right? Has something happened? You were visiting Kiba Inuzuka, right?" The nurse reached quickly for a file lying behind the desk, and Hinata fidgeted, trying to get out of there as quickly as she could.

"K...Kiba's fine. I'm just...I forgot something that I...I had to do..." Naruto had seen her. She was sure of it. He had seen her spying on him and Sakura. He knew she had seen them...kiss...

"Are you sure? He's in a very unstable condition and you really don't look very well..."

"Yes! Im sure!" Hinata's voice rose an octave. She could hear someone else coming down the hallway. And she had no doubt who it was. She edged a little ways away, but the nurse waved for her to stay.

"Did you get a chance to see that machine on his right side...?" The nurse was apparently trying to avoid going on her rounds. She didn't /seem/ the lazy type, but Hinata knew appearances meant next to nothing. Hinata had just about given up trying to leave nicely, and was ready to turn and leave, when Naruto came around the corner.

"Hey, Hinata!" He started towards her, and Hinata felt heat rise in her face. She turned around and made a break for the exit. "Wait!" To her horror, Hinata heard urgent footsteps behind her, matching her pace. He was following her... "Don't run away this time! Come on!" Naruto almost sounded upset. More confused than anything, though.

She sped up, taking the first turn that she could. But her foot slipped on the loose dirt by the building, and she stumbled. Hinata managed to regain her balance, but her speed was shattered, and Naruto closed in fast. Hinata felt a spark of heat travel up her arm when his fingers fastened around her wrist and pulled her to a halt. "Hey! Whats going on? Why do you always run or faint or something when i'm trying to talk to you?"

Hinata tried pulling her arm away, feeling a stinging in her throat. She really just wanted to be alone. And she doubted she could form intelligible words right now anyway. But Naruto tightened his grip a little, turning her around to face him. She tried not to look at his face, but his eyes pulled her gaze to them. Cerulean met lavender, and for the first time, Hinata didn't blush. "S...sorry, Naruto kun. I have to get home." She managed to whisper.

"But you...you were watching Sakura and me, right? That was you. I thought you'd say hi or something but you just left." Naruto looked genuinely curious. "Why did you run off right when she and I...?" Suddenly, something clicked in the blond's brain. Hinata could almost see the wheels turning as everything fell into place. All of her behaviors, her kissing him...It would all begin to make sense. "Wait...Hinata...do you like m-?"

"No!" Hinata burst out, her voice now high pitched. She preferred the whisper. "Why...Why should I care that you...you kissed Sakura chan? Thats fine with me! Im happy that you two are together! She...she really likes you and you really like her so it makes sense!" Hinata knew she was speaking a lot, and also knew she should just stop. Right now. But she couldn't. "So go! Go be together! I don't care!"

Naruto recoiled as if he had been stung, releasing her hand. "Hinata...?" He stared at her as if he had never really seen her before, and Hinata felt tears in her eyes. For the first time in her life, she swore.

"Shit..." The word felt strange on her tongue, but also good. It was new, it made her feel non oppressed. She lifted one hand to her face, trying to cover the tears as a tiny sob fought to escape her throat. "I have to go." Hinata choked out, whirling away from Naruto. He didn't make any moves to follow her this time, and Hinata walked away purposefully, lowering her hands and lifting her chin a little. She wanted to look confident, like it didn't matter at all. So from behind, she must have looked perfectly un phased, composed, sure of herself. But the tears still pushed at her eyes, which were squeezed shut. Hinata forced herself not to look back.


	5. Departure

**Author: I'm really starting to have fun with this fic. I hope you enjoy it too. Review please, but don't post manga spoilers in your reviews. Its a courtesy thing. And I tend to get inspiration from fanart for certain scenes. Just throwing that out there.  
**

Hinata continued to walk until she reached the actual wall on the west side of town. The Hyuuga estate was on the north side of town, and she could probably get there before dark, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to face her father telling her she wasn't good enough, didn't want to see Neji being compassionate and kind to her. She didn't want their pity right now. All she wanted to do was sit down and sob her eyes out. But she didn't do that either. She had spent a good deal of her life crying, and there was some sort of barrier now that prevented her from letting the tears fall.

The kunoichi turned left, looking up at the wall and trying to determine exactly where she was. The forest of death was nearby, she thought. So the wall should be turning to a mesh fence any second...Yes. Hinata paused, staring out into the area where she had undergone the Chuunin exam for the first time. She clasped her hands in front of her, then turned away, deciding she might as well head home. What else was she going to do? Wander around Konoha until tomorrow?

There was a pressure on the back of her head, and a sudden dull but powerful pain. Her back hit the mesh fence hard, and even as she reached up to grasp at her hair and cut it away if she had to, the pressure was gone. Hinata whirled around, but saw no one there. "Byakugan." She breathed, chest heaving with panic as she scanned the trees. A few insects, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw a flicker of slightly larger chakra, but it was only a squirrel. For a moment, she was able to relax, then she saw the melted and twisted mesh wire a few feet away, just to the right of where something had taken hold of her hair.

Slowly, Hinata released the Byakugan, turning and drawing a kunai from the pouch on her leg. The person standing in front of her had the hood of their cloak pulled halfway up their face, but it was unmistakably Itachi. Hinata didn't move for several seconds, a light breeze wafted against the Akatsuki cloak, and Hinata could see his hands when the sleeves lifted a little. He wasn't carrying any weapons. Although, it wasn't as if he really needed any.

Now that she knew about the danger of his eyes, she kept his gaze on his collarbone, every muscle in her body tensed. "Don't scream, Hyuuga." He had said that last time...Was it possible to use genjutsu through a voice? She didn't think so, but his voice was definitely a little hypnotizing. Okay, more than a little. Maybe a lot. Because he was moving towards her now, and she was frozen in place. She remembered briefly that Naruto's name, saying it, had somehow given her strength. But her lips wouldn't move. And Itachi was reaching out towards her with one hand.

Hinata flicked her gaze up to the Uchiha's, and noticed he wasn't using his Sharingan. Why was that? Kakashi had said it hurt Itachi to use his eyes too much...was Itachi running out of time? Itachi's hand brushed her cheek lightly, then slid down towards her throat. His skin was cold, his fingers rough. Hinata squeezed her eyes shut. "Move, Hinata!" She thought as loudly as she could, and the words tumbled out her mouth in little more than a whisper.

Itachi tilted his head to one side, and there was a slight push of chakra, then suddenly she was pressed back against the fence again, one of his hands digging into her hip and the other around her throat. A small cough tried to work its way from her windpipe, but she had barely enough air to breathe. And there was still that paralyzing feeling that kept her from moving.

_Naruto._ She thought his name and shut her eyes again, but when she did, all she could see was Naruto leaning in, grabbing Sakura's face, their lips crashing together..."Sasukekun." Her mouth formed the name, but no sound worked its way out. That wasn't to say Itachi didn't notice. He pulled his head back, looking down at her with impassive eyes.

"You know my otouto?" Hinata didn't look at Itachi. He seemed puzzled, if a little amused, but there was so little emotion in his voice it was hard to tell. Besides, the Hyuuga didn't know what made her say Sasuke's name. But...shouldn't he be nearby? He had said he was following Naruto to get a shot at killing Itachi. And now would be a great opportunity for him. How had Itachi gotten into the village anyway? And where was his partner, the fish guy?

_I never did like you. You seemed a little strange..._Hinata smiled a little, feeling a pink tinge in her cheeks. Then she looked directly up at Itachi, and remembering the sound of Sasuke's voice, she wrenched the arm that held the kunai forward, sweeping its blade towards Itachi's stomach. The Uchiha released her side, grabbing her forearm and using Hinata's momentum to spin her around, slamming her back against his chest and effectively knocking the wind out of her.

Itachi leaned down and sank his teeth into the upper curve of Hinata's ear, and she felt a strange sweep in her stomach that sent a chill up her spine. Hinata let out a small whimper, wrenching her head away from the contact, and felt a sharp pain in her ear. A warm liquid trickled down the side of her face, but she barely noticed it. He was sweeping away her hair from the back of her neck, hands numbing her entire body. Hinata pushed chakra into the hand that held the kunai, focusing as quickly as she could. He was still holding her arm, but if she could do what Neji could and extend the chakra beyond the limits of just her body...There! She could feel Itachi's tenkutsu's in his wrist. With a great surge of energy and will, she forced the chakra out, and was rewarded with a low grunt from the man behind her.

She caught a glimpse of the red marks on Itachi's skin, before he pulled his arm away and brought it down on the back of her skull. Stars erupted in Hinata's eyes and she sank to her knees, dazed. But someone's arms circled around her, and her hands were being pulled behind her back. _No..._ Hinata tried to send messages to her limbs that would help her get away, but her brain wouldn't comply. The blow to her head had been hard, she probably had a concussion of some kind. She could feel her hands being bound, and now she wasn't on the ground anymore. Someone was carrying her. Hinata forced one eye open, and saw the red clouds that meant it was Itachi. For some reason that surprised her. She was having a very hard time thinking...

Suddenly, Itachi dropped her. She landed on her side, and there was a flurry of movement, and a new presence of chakra. Hinata tried plant her hands in front of her and push herself to her feet, but they were still tied behind her back, and she couldn't move them. There were voices, but she didn't recognize either of them. Although part of her knew one voice had to be Itachi's. Her eyes flicked around on their own accord, and a wave of nausea hit her. Hinata sat up as well as she could, and felt the bile rise in her throat. She vomited on the grass in front of her, and once again tried to stand, a faint ringing in her ears.

Hinata staggered away a little further, leaning against the wall. There was an explosion of heat behind her, and she thought she smelled fire in the air. She forced herself to move faster, but her legs weren't obeying her brain and she stumbled, hitting the ground hard. The sounds of battle behind her were growing more intense, and the Hyuuga fought to stand and get away, but unconsciousness was pressing at her brain desperately. There was something in her arm, and she thought that it should hurt, but could barely feel it. Then the thing that was in her arm was gone, and she could move her hands again.

Sluggishly, she pulled her hands around in front of her, pushing her body onto all fours. She doubted she'd be able to stand, and instead crawled away until the sounds of battle behind her faded away into nothingness. She couldn't have gone very far, so Hinata reasoned(with the small part of her brain that was still functioning correctly)that the fight had ended. The kunoichi continued crawling at an almost painful pace, until she couldn't move anymore. Her arms collapsed beneath her and she sank to the ground, no longer able to fight the blackness pulling at her mind.

* * *

Hinata's eyes slid open slowly, and the first thing she was aware of was pain. Her head was throbbing, her ear stung, and there was a sharper, cleaner pain in her arm. The second thing she noticed was that it was dark out. The moon had just risen over the horizon, so it was probably only eleven o'clock. That was good. The Hyuuga lifted one hand to her head, then moved her finger in front of her eyes, following it's path through the air. She guessed she had a mild concussion, although Itachi had the opportunity to kill her.

There was a lot of dried blood on her arm, and from what Hinata could tell, the deep cut in her skin had been caused by a kunai, which had sliced right through the bonds that held her. Then the kunai had been pulled free, probably using a wire. So someone had helped her. But whoever it was probably wasn't from Konoha, or else they would have stayed around to see if she was all right. Unless they were dead. But if they were dead, then Itachi would have come after her again, right?

Shaking her head a little, Hinata stood, testing out her limbs. Her legs were steady, although her hands were still trembling. She looked around again. No one she knew lived in this area of town, but all things considered, she didn't want to stay out alone any longer than she had to. She just wanted to get somewhere well lit. There was a building across the street, a residential one, and from the looks of it, was mostly abandoned.

Hinata made up her mind and hurried across the street, feeling a little better when she was in the streetlamp's glow, and even more comforted when she reached the building itself. There was a door a little ways down the hall that was slightly ajar, and she decided that would be her best option. The Hyuuga pushed the door open a bit more and stepped inside. A plume of dust billowed up from beneath her sandaled foot, and she smothered a cough, moving the rest of the way into the building and shutting the door behind her.

The entire place was covered in a thin layer of dust that gave the impression that there hadn't been a tenant in at least two years. Hinata moved forward gingerly, dust kicking up anywhere she stepped. She leaned around a doorway and was relieved to find a kitchen of sorts. She lifted the tap of the sink with two fingers, as if afraid she would break it. There was a sputtering sound, and then water gushed down into the sink basin. Hinata pushed her sleeve back, letting the cold water run over the gash in her arm. It stung, but she gritted her teeth and scrubbed away the dried blood. After she decided the wound was clean enough, she rummaged in one of the cabinets, and found a roll of gauze behind a box of crackers.

She cleaned off her ear by scooping water up to the side of her face, and examined her reflection in the window over the sink as she had at Ino's. She looked normal, to some extent. Hinata used one finger to turn off the sink, then turned away, starting to replace the gauze in the cabinet. She pasued, hearing a creak in the adjoining room, which was likely the bedroom. Old houses made all kinds of creaks and groans, but this one was accompanied a few seconds later by a sharp gasp of pain. Worry flooded her chest, and she approached slowly, for some reason not feeling afraid.

The bedroom window was open, and footsteps had scuffed up the dust around it. There was a crunch of glass beneath her foot, and Hinata looked down, seeing a picture lying in a shattered frame. Hinata crouched, reaching down to pull the photograph out of the glass carefully, so she wouldn't rip it. It was Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. Back when they were Genin. She /knew/ this wasn't Naruto's place, and doubted it was Sakura's. Which meant she was in Sasuke's apartment.

There was another gasp, lower pitched this time, from the other side of the bed. And someone was trying to stand, she could see movement. Hinata slid around the bed warily, biting her lower lip when she saw the person. "Sasukekun?" She whispered, edging a little closer.

"Get away," Came the growled response. It was laced in a certain amount of venom, but sounded horribly weak. Sasuke gripped the table beside the bed and hauled himself to his feet. His shirt was open, and Hinata noticed what she hadn't before. Blood stained his entire abdomen, from his left collarbone to his right hip.

"You're...You're h-hurt!" Hinata moved towards him, and he looked up, obsidian eyes furious and a snarl on his face. She stopped suddenly as if stung. "You need a medical ninja! S-Sakura-san or Ino-chan or..."

"No!" Sasuke's voice rose a level in volume, rasping slightly. "Leave me the fuck alone," He staggered towards her, and lifted one arm, pushing Hinata out of the way and moving out of the room.

Tentatively, Hinata edged after him, seeing Sasuke fumbling for the gauze she had used earlier. He had probably passed out upon returning to his apartment, and had just woken up. Sasuke reached up into the cabinet, and the half clotted wound on his abdomen reopened, blood spilling down onto the floor. Sasuke let out a grunt of pain, clamping his arm over as much of the gash as he could.

Hinata rushed forward, grabbing the gauze from its shelf and hesitantly reaching around Sasuke, trying to get a better look at the wound. He let out a growl, smacking away her hand. Hinata narrowed her eyes, and without thinking, reached up and cuffed Sasuke on the back of his head. She instantly regretted this decision. Surely the Uchiha would turn and punch her or something...

Sasuke turned his head to look at her, expression stunned. "You just hit me!" He hissed, bent over slightly to keep from stressing the wound.

"Well...Y-You hit me first!" Hinata whispered back, blushing a little but trying to pretend she wasn't.

Sasuke stared at her for several long seconds, during which the Hyuuga wondered if he really was going to kill her. Then he grunted and lifted his arm, allowing her better access to the injury. Surprised, Hinata didn't question it, and tried to move so she was in front of him. This would have been easier if Sasuke weren't pressed almost directly in front of the counter. He was watching her, and Hinata's blush increased. She had the feeling he was doing this on purpose.

Determined not to let him win, Hinata hopped up onto the counter, balancing herself on the sink's edge. The wound was deepest near his hip, then grew more shallow, probably when Sasuke had leapt away from whatever weapon did it. But with Sasuke's clothes covering two thirds of it, she couldn't really see where the wound ended. Blushing even more, Hinata pulled the edges of Sasuke's shirt away from his sides, then tugged it as far off as she could. Sasuke actually helped her a little, and Hinata tried not to notice Sasuke, sitting there in front of her shirtless.

Generally, she would have just you know...passed out or something. It would've been way easier. But in order to take care of the wound, she was going to have to look at Sasuke's body. No big deal. Hinata used a kunai to cut away part of Sasuke's sleeve, and gingerly began cleaning the grit and dirt out of the wound. The Hyuuga frowned. The cut continued down a little farther, down to his hip. His pants were torn, and thankfully it didn't go any farther down than the very top of his leg.

This was going to be awkward either way. Hinata decided not to ask permission. Instead, she pulled down the hem of Sasuke's pants, careful not to brush the wound. Sasuke quirked one eyebrow, and HInata pretended not to notice. The injury started almost on the side of his hip, then swept up and over his chest. Despite the furious blushing on her face, the seriousness of the wound was impossible to ignore. "S-Sasuke-kun, you really need a medic ninja..."

"No." The response was instant, and predictable.

"You're going to bleed to death if you don't get to the hospital!" Hinata looked up at him. Was he really afraid of Tsunade apprehending him that badly? Or was it something else? She remembered the broken picture in the bedroom. "I'm sure Naruto and Sakura will _want _to see you again-!"

"No!" Sasuke grabbed Hinata's arm, and she searched his face for some hint of what he was thinking. There was nothing. "You fix it. I have a needle and thread, there." He nodded to the same cabinet where Hinata had found the gauze.

"I can't do that! Please, Sasuke-kun, just go to the hospital!"

"Hinata-sama." The tone of Sasuke's voice seemed to have changed a little, it almost sounded desperate. "I can't go back now. I'm letting you help me. No one else. If you don't want to, get out of my house." He released her, staring at her with a hard glare that let her know the only reason he was tolerating her was because he knew he couldn't stitch himself. He too, would probably much rather have Sakura helping him. After all, he barely knew Hinata.

There was a long silence, and when it was broken by a drop of Sasuke's blood falling to the floor, Hinata nodded curtly and reached for the needle and thread indicated. It took her a few seconds, but she eventually found it. It was only then that she realized she had never sewn anything in her entire life. She had never even threaded a needle before.

Stalling, Hinata finished cleaning out the wound. Near the collarbone, she found a fragment of kunai, making it very obvious what had inflicted the injury. "Did you...did you kill him?" She asked quietly, now finally picking up the needle and thread. She slid one end of the thread into the head of the needle and tied it into a knot, fingers shaking slightly.

"...No." His voice told Hinata not to inquire further, and she leaned forward, positioning the needle near the beginning of the injury. She figured about half an inch between stitches, and maybe a quarter of an inch into the skin. Gingerly, she pushed the needle into Sasuke's side, taking care not to touch the inner part of the wound, and then pulled the needle out on the other side of the gash.

Sasuke didn't wince, and Hinata continued the same process, using a whiplike stitch they had taught everyone back at the academy. When she reached his stomach, the wo und became shallow enough that she didn't really need to stitch anymore. Cutting away the extra thread with a kunai, she hesitated. Then she pulled the threads taught, the skin stretching back together. At this, Sasuke let out a low grunt, his muscles tensing. "Gomenasai..." Hinata breathed weakly, but the Uchiha didn't seem to notice.

Hinata finished with another somewhat clumsy knot, then replaced the needle into the small plastic box. Sasuke looked down, watching her as she took the gauze and wrapped it around his torso and chest. Finally, she was done.

"Hn..." Sasuke stretched his arms back, testing the limits of his injury. The stitches held, as did the wounds, for no blood appeared on the gauze. Hinata sighed with relief, and shifted to slide off the counter, but her hand slipped in the surface of the sink and she overbalanced, falling forward against Sasuke. The Uchiha's arms fastened around her instinctively, catching the girl before she fell to the ground. The Hyuuga's eyes widened and the blush, which had previously faded from her face, now returned. Her body was pressed against Sasuke's, and she could feel his arms around her shoulders. Their faces were only inches apart, and Hinata looked up into the obsidian eyes, and her entire body froze.

"I'm going with you." Who said that? Hinata couldn't believe the words had come from her own lips, and apparently neither could Sasuke, for he just stared at her, his arms moving away from where they had previously held her.

"Tch. Sure, while i'm trying to kill Itachi, we can just rent a nice condo and relax." Sasuke turned away, moving to the remnants of his shirt and starting to pull it gingerly over his head.

The remark stung, but Hinata wasn't sure why. She was, however, sure that although she hadn't meant to say it, she meant it. "Sasuke, please." She reached out and grabbed his forearm, thanking whatever gods there were that she wasn't stuttering. "I can't stay here."

Sasuke seemed to sense the change in her attitude. He glanced over his shoulder at the Hyuuga. "Leaving Konoha without permission will give you status as a missing ninja, and a traitor."

Hinata felt a small shudder, but stood her ground. "I know. But...There's nothing left for me in Konoha." Kiba had Shino, Neji had Tenten, Sakura and Naruto had each other. Her father barely noticed her. She was not going to stay here. Sasuke continued to stare at Hinata, who had been feeling very proud of herself for not blushing or seeming embarrassed. "And I...I want to see Itachi killed too. For Naruto's sake."

Sasuke let out a low growl. "You'll get in the way. You're not strong enough-"

"No!" Hinata tightened her grip slightly, feeling a shudder in her stomach. "I'm not weak, Sasuke-kun! I'm not!"

There was another long pause, with Hinata staring fiercely at the Uchiha. Finally, he yanked his arm away. Hinata let him. "Do whatever you want." The boy walked away from the girl, and Hinata fidgeted for a few seconds, then trailed after him. He was pulling a clean shirt on over his head(Hinata didn't know where he had gotten it) and was strapping on his katana. Without speaking, he turned away again, climbing out the window. Hinata clambered less gracefully out the window after him, and followed him towards Konoha's wall.

When Sasuke didn't tell her to get away from him, Hinata guessed it was him allowing her to follow, so she increased her pace a little so they were walking in single file, him right in front of her. Sasuke slid through the hole in the gate of the forest of death, and Hinata continued to follow, not looking back until they were at the crest of the hill that overlooked Konoha. She fidgeted, looking back at her home of sixteen years. Was this a good idea...?

Suddenly, she realized Sasuke's presence was growing fainter. He wasn't going to wait for her. She had to make a choice, now. "Sasuke-kun...W-wait!" She had realized something. "I thought you were going to track Naruto-kun! Because Itachi is following him...!" Sasuke paused. He turned halfway around, face blank.

"My brother is not following Naruto anymore. His partner, Kisame Hoshigaki, is following him."

"So then...why...where..." Hinata frowned, a deep sense of foreboding clutching at her stomach. It came more from the look on Sasuke's face. Almost one of guilt. Of hesitation.

"He is following you. I don't know why. But he is."

Hinata's breath caught in her throat, and she felt suddenly very cold. He was following her? Her first response was to ask why, but Sasuke already said he didn't know. Hinata remained standing there, wondering why she was so surprised. It should have been obvious by now, right? He showed up everywhere she went...

"You coming?"

Sure, /now/ Sasuke was waiting for her. Maybe he felt guilty for upsetting her. But Hinata realized that if Itachi was following her, and she was with Sasuke, away from the village, Sasuke would have a much better shot at killing him. It would be way more dangerous, and was probably not the smarter choice. She should go to Tsunade now and tell her the situation. "Yes, I'm coming." Hinata straightened her shoulders as much as her nerves would allow. She moved forward, past Sasuke, and he blinked, watching her go.

The pair continued walking, Sasuke eventually taking the lead after Hinata realized she had no idea where they were going. Hinata didn't break the silence again, just focusing on placing one foot in front of the other. She tired after a few hours, but was determined not to say anything. She wondered once where exactly they were going, but it didn't really matter. Who cared where they were going?

Suddenly, she stopped. There wasn't really a reason behind her stopping except that Sasuke had stopped. And she had kind of run into him. Kind of, because she had managed to not knock him to the ground. She hadn't knocked him over because when he stopped, he had grabbed her arm. "Byakugan." Sasuke said shortly. Hinata saw he had already activated his Sharingan.

Hinata realized she had picked up a habit of not asking questions, after only half a day. She lifted one hand and activated her bloodline limit. "I see something..." Hinata frowned. There was something...a smear of chakra no wider than five or six inches and only an inch tall. "It almost looks like..." Suddenly, the chakra was gone, and Hinata felt cold again. Then the chakra reappeared, stronger than ever, and multiplied, sort of expanding into a full person. A heartbeat later, Sasuke cried out in pain. Hinata's Byakugan slid away in her panic and she looked down at the Uchiha. He was clutching at his eyes, at his forehead, and slid to his knees. "Sasuke-kun?!" Hinata grasped his shoulders, eyes wide. Sasuke's muscles were tense, rigid and shaking. His body was racked with tremors, and Hinata wondered if she had made some mistake with his sutures. Were they infected...? Sasuke's body suddenly collapsed, and Hinata was holding him up. "Sasuke!" Hinata lowered him carefully onto his back, shifting and pulling down the collar of his shirt.

Her hands trembled as she ran them over the stitches in the near pitch blackness. They seemed fine, and his skin was cool, not warm as if infected. So then what was going on...? Hinata felt someone in the area, and she activated her Byakugan again, whirling around just in time to see a shuriken flying out of the trees. She drew a kunai and flung it at the shuriken. There was a clang of metal, and both weapons flew off into the darkness. Hinata drew another kunai, climbing to her feet and standing in front of Sasuke.

A pair of glowing sharingan eyes appeared in the foliage, and Hinata squeezed her own eyes shut quickly. So that was it. Itachi had hit Sasuke with the Tsukiyomi. Which meant he'd be unconscious for a while...She was on her own. And she couldn't open her eyes, or he'd catch her in a genjutsu too. Trembling more than ever, Hinata kept her eyes shut, listening intently. Something on her left stirred the leaves by her feet, and Hinata stumbled to the right.

Then there was a whirl of air disturbance behind her, and she leaped forward, squeezing her eyes open just a little and keeping her gaze on the ground. Nothing. Now to her side again...Hinata jumped out of the way once more. A shout of panic burst from her throat when someone's arms folded around her so tightly the air was crushed from her lungs.

She opened her eyes, and saw Itachi, his sharingan no longer activated and his face completely blank. He reached down, fingers brushing her forearm. Hinata pulled her arm away, trying to keep a hold on the kunai, but Itachi's hand snapped forward and grasped her wrist. With hardly any effort, he crushed the bones of her wrist, and she dropped the kunai with a scream of pain.

With that moment of distraction, Itachi shoved Hinata back onto the ground, pinning her good hand by her shoulder. Her right hand was broken in at least two places, and she couldn't move her fingers. "Stop!" Hinata felt a sob stinging her eyes and tickling her throat, but fought it away. She squirmed a little, fighting to get her feet on the ground, and Itachi pressed his hips against hers, keeping them and her legs immobile.

There was no more hesitation. Before, Itachi had just been toying with her. Enjoying her futile struggles. But this time, Hinata could feel something was different. He was done waiting. The older Uchiha leaned down and forced his tongue into her mouth, exploring her warmth by force. Hinata's eyes widened, and she coughed a little, gagging. Itachi's free hand moved down to her stomach, and Hinata tried to push his hand away with her bad arm, a small whimper escaping her at the pain. He barely seemed to notice, and his fingers were trailing up beneath her shirt. There didn't seem to be any time that passed before his fingers were gripping her breast none too gently. Was this really happening? Hinata felt shock numb her body, and her gaze slid to the side, landing on the still inert form of Sasuke. _Please, Sasuke-kun. _She thought desperately. _Please, wake up..._

But he didn't. He didn't even stir. And Hinata couldn't move. Her legs wouldn't budge, her right arm was throbbing painfully, and Itachi held her left arm in a vicelike grip. The Uchiha's fingers were groping her breast roughly, and Hinata felt tears in her eyes. It wasn't pleasant, it hurt, and it made her feel horrible. It wasn't supposed to be this way..._Focus, dammit! Focus, Hinata!_ She thought to herself wildly. _This doesn't have to happen! _When he stuck his tongue down her throat again, Hinata gathered her wits and bit down as hard as she could.

Itachi's hand moved out from her shirt, but he was smirking now, and Hinata's entire body was shaking. She began molding chakra, pushing it into her good arm as quickly as she could. But she was staring directly into his eyes.

Then suddenly she wasn't on the ground. She was hovering, her arms spread eagled and strapped to some sort of cross. Itachi was standing right in front of her, the entire landscape red and twisted. "Twelve hours..." His voice echoed and stretched around, wrapping around her head and sinking into her very soul. "That would be a waste on you."

Hinata felt a small fire in her heart. What, he didn't want to hurt her or something? What did he /want/?!

She realized she had spoken those words out loud. "I control everything here, Hyuuga." Itachi hissed. "You're in my world. And i'll tell you this because you won't remember it, when you wake up. The Byakugan is the root of the Sharingan. If an Uchiha and a Hyuuga had a child together, that child's chances of having the Sharingan are seventy five percent." The Uchiha in question stepped forward, touching the lips of the Hyuuga he had in mind. "Twelve hours would be a waste. My eyes are dying. I may as well use them to the fullest. Four days, Hyuuga..." With that, Itachi drove a kunai into Hinata's shoulder. Hinata screamed out in pain, but a moment later another kunai was thrust into her thigh. The pain continued to escalate. Blood was pouring down her body. The pain was mind consuming, taking over every fiber of thought and blackness pushing at her consciousness.

* * *

Hinata couldn't feel anything. She was just existing. Floating in a sea of nothingness. There were no thoughts. There was no emotion. Maybe she didn't exist after all. Maybe there was only ever blackness. Her arms felt disconnected, as did her legs. Her head wasn't supported by anything, and yet, it was still even on her neck.

Suddenly, she was aware of pain. Pain was there, and so was a sensation of panic. Everything that happened came rushing back to her, and her stomach crumpled in on itself as the pain hit fully. Her body rolled over, and she dry heaved onto the ground beside her face. Slowly, things were starting to become clear again. She pushed herself up onto her arms, but her entire body was weak, and her mind was sluggish. Hinata forced herself to sit up, reaching out and grabbing the edge of a table beside her. Somewhere in her brain she registered that there shouldn't be a table out in the middle of the forest. Had Itachi taken her to the Akatsuki hideout? She forced herself to take in the surroundings, and saw Sasuke with his back to her. "Where...where are we?" She murmured, although it came out as more of a single sound. Something like, "Whmmm..."

Sasuke turned to look at her, his gaze tired and dead. "I woke up just as he had started the Tsukiyomi on you. I stabbed him, but it was just a clone. That's why its been hard to get a hold of him. The real Itachi is probably still with Kisame."

Hinata had more questions, but her mouth wouldn't open again, and her body was tired. She lay back down on the tatami mats, and darkness closed over again.

She woke up again, and felt a little better. She tried to speak, but her lips didn't part and a low hum rumbled in her throat. Hinata didn't see Sasuke anywhere. How long had she actually been in the Tsukiyomi? Would she be immobile for weeks, like Kakashi? Panicked, Hinata pushed her lips open and spoke, voice raspy. "Sasuke-kun?" The words stung her throat, and she coughed a little. No one appeared in the doorway.

Slowly, Hinata sat up, taking a deep breath. _Just take it easy..._ She told herself. Her strength was returning. Just very slowly. Hinata rolled onto her stomach, then pushed herself onto her knees, sitting back a little. Her clothes were filthy, so caked with mud they weighed her down a little. Still, she managed to stand, and breathing a little heavily, she made her way out into the next room, which turned out to be something of a hallway, with an entryway/kitchen to her left and what were probably more bedrooms. Sasuke was standing in the entryway, having just come inside. He didn't ask if she was feeling better. Just paused, then moved past her down the hall.

"W-wait...Sasuke-kun...Do you think you have...a change of clothes?" She wanted to know where they were, exactly, but figured he wasn't going to be very chatty. So she might as well get the information she needed, rather than wanted.

He paused again, then nodded curtly. "In the closet, in your room." Then he opened another door and vanished inside it. Hinata frowned, turning around and limping back into the room she had woken up in.

There were several mercifully simple kimono in the closet Sasuke had mentioned, and Hinata shed the dirty clothes she wore then. As she did, she noticed someone had bandaged her upper back and shoulders. Down to roughly her collarbone. It had to have been Sasuke. Hinata blushed a bit at the thought, and quickly donned a lavender kimono with blue flower print.

She made her way out to the kitchen, intending to wash her other clothes in the sink, and saw Sasuke standing at a window. He too had changed out of his usual shinobiwear, and when Hinata glanced around, she saw them soaking in a wooden bucket. Hinata added her clothes, knowing the dirt would be easier to work out once the clothes had been soaking for a while. When she deposited the clothes, she hesitated, turning to look at Sasuke again. She was standing very close to him. Then he spoke. "You said you wouldn't get in the way."

Hinata blanched. "I...I didn't...I wasn't in the way." She managed to squeak. But he cut across her pathetic apology that really wasn't justified at all.

"Why are you here? Why did you want to come with me?"

Hinata fidgeted slightly. "I...I..." She looked at Sasuke's back, then shifted her gaze out the window. It was raining. "I want to make sure Itachi is killed. Konoha w-wants to just capture him. But he...he d-deserves to die. Especially with what he..." Her voice faded, and she turned so her back was against the window. She wasn't sure if she should continue, but did anyway. "What he did to your clan. Your family. And he's trying to kill Naruto-kun."

Sasuke didn't respond at all. "What is he to you? You love him, right?" Hinata flinched again, and a crimson heat made her face glow. She didn't answer, because Sasuke started speaking again. "He loves Sakura. Get over him, you'll only make yourself miserable."

"Sakura loves you, and she hasn't given up on you! Even if you have turned into an insensitive jerk!" The words were out before HInata could stop them, and Hinata looked down, afraid to meet Sasuke's gaze.

"I've always been an insensitive jerk. Sakura knows that. She's just a little girl, stuck on a pointless crush that interferes with her real life." Sasuke's eyes moved in the window's reflection, looking at Hinata although she wasn't looking at him. "Just like you. If you want to kill Itachi, if you want to see him dead, you have to let go of those people. Naruto is not going to love you."

Hinata lifted her hands to her neck, feeling tears sliding out from beneath her eyelids. She had heard this before, but the way Sasuke was saying it was so different from everyone else. "I don't care if he doesn't love me back. I'll do whatever I need to...to protect him." Hinata didn't move at all, the rain pelting the window so hard it seemed the glass would break. "And i'll p-protect you too, if I have to." She lifted her gaze, and turned her head a little so she could see Sasuke's face, reflected in the window. It was completely blank, no emotion whatsoever. Or was that the faintest hint of a smirk on his face? It was probably just her imagination.

The kunoichi turned her back on Sasuke once again, moving away from the Uchiha. "Don't get in my way, Hyuuga. I'll kill you if I have to." His steely voice met her as she reached her doorway. Hinata flushed crimson. But she wouldn't let herself be intimidated by him.

Hinata slid open the door to her room, considering vanishing inside it and avoiding anything awkward. But she didn't. Instead, she stepped into her room, then paused. "Don't let me beat you to killing Itachi." She said over her shoulder, then shut the door behind him. She couldn't see it at that point, but Sasuke really was smirking now.


	6. Proposal

**Author: So I made the decision today to make this a long term story. Which means that instead of having everything happen at once, it'll happen over time. Yay. REVIEW and recommend to your friends.  
**

* * *

Hinata and Sasuke set out again the next morning, both of their clothes now clean and their wounds dressed. At first, Sasuke had strode on ahead of Hinata, clearly knowing exactly where Itachi had gone, and Hinata looked behind her at the building they had just vacated. There was a large red and white fan painted on the front door. So it must have been an Uchiha meeting place of some kind. She started to ask about it, but the words died in her throat. Neither of them had spoken to the other since last night, and Hinata didn't mind the silence. It was easier than talking. The Hyuuga trotted forward a few steps, carefully, so she was walking level with Sasuke. He either didn't notice or didn't care. Or both. Then, just as they had last night, both of them stopped.

"Sasuke-kun, where are we, exactly-?"

"Quiet."

Hinata wasn't a fan of taking orders in that fashion, but she sensed the same thing he did, which was what prompted her question. She could feel Naruto, Kakashi, Sai and Sakura drawing closer. Tracking her, most likely. She felt suddenly worried. Would Sasuke make her go back to Konoha? Would she even listen to him?

"We need to move." He cut into her internal monologue, and none too kindly, either. "Now." He reached out and grabbed Hinata's arm tightly, and a chill went up Hinata's spine as he formed a single handsign, using only one hand. How was that even possible?

Then there was a rustling in the trees, and Hinata felt an odd dissolving feeling, which slowly increased in speed until she wasn't in one place anymore, but two, and she could see both places, one still a forest, but with a different formation of trees. In the first place, she saw Naruto bursting from the foliage. Then the images melted together, and Naruto faded from view.

Hinata staggered, and Sasuke had released her arm, so she held onto a tree for support, glancing at him. A time and space jutsu? How had he learned that? Was Orochimaru really that powerful? "Did I hurt you?" It didn't really sound like a question of concern. Sasuke was looking somewhere else, face horribly calm. Hinata followed his gaze once again and nearly panicked. Itachi and Kisame were standing there, a few feet away.

"S-Sasuke-kun! Look out-!"

"Don't you know the difference between an illusion and the real thing?" Sasuke almost sounded like Neji. Hinata stared at him for a moment, then forced herself to look back at the illusions. No, there was no chakra pattern there. She made herself calm down.

"S-sorry..."

He didn't respond. He was looking back in the direction they had come from. At least, that's what Hinata assumed. She couldn't really tell. But Sasuke probably knew. "You could go back to them. It would be easier, and you probably should. Its foolish to stay with me, you'll get yourself killed. I thought it would be easier to kill Itachi, because of his obsession for you. But instead i'll resume tracking Naruto. Only clones track you."

How could he make her feel so horrible? He didn't even try, he just spoke the truth and it was harsh. Hinata didn't really need to think about her decision, either. "I'm staying with you." Sasuke turned to look at her, and Hinata felt the doubts slide away. She was so thoroughly confused around him. One moment, he was making her feel like crap, and the next, he made her feel sure of every decision she'd ever made.

"Hn." Articulate as always, Sasuke didn't pull his gaze from her right away. "You need to mask your presence, or Kakashi will sense us."

"R-Right." Hinata didn't want to mention she had no idea how to do that. Sasuke continued staring at her. She had the feeling he knew even if she didn't tell him. His lip curled a little as if he found her a pain or was disgusted by her or something. Then, he moved towards her, reached out, and grabbed her hands. His fingers were cool and light. Slightly calloused, but the skin itself was smooth. She imagined his hands on other parts of her...Hinata blushed deeply, making a small 'squeak' sort of sound. Sasuke ignored it, and formed Hinata's hands into the tiger handsign.

"Focus." He said shortly, and stared into her face bluntly. Hinata tried to do what he told her, and felt his own chakra guiding hers. She frowned, and melted her chakra inwardly, folding it upon itself until she was condensed into a small circle. She became aware that Sasuke was no longer touching her, and merely nodded to let her know she was doing it correctly. A moment later, he performed the same sort of technique. Hinata watched him, and could almost see his chakra sliding away. Curious, she activated her Byakugan silently. Now she really could see it. The threads of chakra sliding away and thinning out, retracting father into his body. And there was so much of it. Sasuke was powerful, almost frighteningly so. She lifted her gaze, and saw that Sasuke had activated his sharingan.

And he was looking directly at her. Suddenly, Hinata's blush vanished. The Sharingan looking at the Byakugan was nothing she had ever really thought about, and it felt so incredibly powerful, as if Sasuke was seeing into her very soul, and she was seeing directly into his. And what she saw there was a lot of pain, a lot of betrayal and desperation and regret. "Sasuke-kun..." She didn't think she said it out loud, and a moment later she was seeing into his mind and his memories, although she made no conscious effort to do so.

She saw the person Sasuke could have become, if Itachi hadn't betrayed him. The incredibly warm hearted, gentle, sweet, man he had the potential to be. And she saw the cold, harshness that his brother had awoken in him. She could see him, as a kid, as a little six year old who idolized his brother. And she felt his joy whenever Itachi deigned to play with him, the utter euphoria when Itachi trained with him. She felt it as he experienced the terror at seeing his new sharingan, and her soul melted together with his. They both watched Itachi standing over Sasuke's parents, the blood dripping from his katana. Hinata could smell the metallic odor of the crimson liquid, she could taste the blood in her mouth, feel the icy chill in the air in her very bones. And she experienced with Sasuke the entire betrayal as it was reenacted. She sped forward with Sasuke through time, through his training at the Academy, through his fights with Naruto and his attachments. She felt him resisting the bonds with his friends, and the way he tore away from them at the last second. She cried out when he fought Naruto, but the sound was drenched in despair that echoed only in her own mind. She was trapped within Sasuke's heart, within his very soul, and she saw how he viewed others.

She saw how important Naruto was to him, how much he loved-yes loved-Naruto, more so than he had his own brother. How Naruto had been his best friend, and how the entire time he knew him, he had wondered if he would one day kill him. She saw how grateful he was to Sakura, for loving him so unconditionally. She saw with a pang of familiarity how he saw Sakura as a sister; how he regretted he could not love her the way she loved him. Hinata saw his envy of Gaara, living alone and without bonds, and the guilt at being unkind to him. She caught glimpses of how he saw Kiba, Shino, Ino, Shikamaru, Kakashi...Everyone except her. It seemed as if she didn't exist to him, or as if all of this was leading up to something greater, some big climax that would explain everything.

At the same time, she could feel Sasuke searching through her own heart, looking into the fear of her past, her terror when it came to Itachi, her determination to be strong, and her still burning love for Naruto. She felt herself reliving her own memories, and knew without question that he was living them with her.

A moment later Sasuke was right in front of her, and her entire world was swallowed in his obsidian eyes, and she was falling into them, into the depths of his soul, and she knew she should stop, but she couldn't. And she didn't want to. There was nothing else, there was only him, baring the very core of his persona, and her own center, right up against each other. Then suddenly her Byakugan was deactivated. There was no chakra related explanation for it, no shortage of energy that made keeping the bloodline limit active.

It was the shock of feeling someone's lips against hers.

Her eyes were, somehow, closed, but she could still see. It was very similar to seeing with her Byakugan, only with slight differences. And she could see Sasuke and herself as if she was watching from a distance. Sasuke's pale hands were on either side of her face, his fingers were tangled in her hair as he held her face, and his lips were crashed in a fierce kiss. Hinata wasn't aware of what was going on at all, and slowly, she began to sink out of the bizarre dreamland that had ocurred when the Byakugan and Sharingan met.

Still slowly, she was beginning to become aware of her own body. She and Sasuke were drifting apart, back into their own identities, until they were connected only by their lips and their hands, Sasuke's on her face, Hinata's on his neck. Then the contact was gone, and Hinata was staring at Sasuke, lips slightly parted and her entire body trembling. What was that? She wanted to ask, she wanted answers, but Sasuke was looking just as unnerved as she was, and her voice was locked away somewhere in the farthest corners of her mind.

Sasuke found his voice first. "Hinata-san...Sorry." The words sent an icy chill up her spine. He was...sorry? He hadn't meant to do that...to kiss her...He must not have been in control of himself, just as she hadn't been in control. And he had taken up formalities again.

"Is someone out there?" Naruto's voice. Hinata pulled her gaze away from Sasuke with a great effort, and tried to remember the technique for hiding her presence. She couldn't remember, and looked back to Sasuke in a panic.

But he was gone. He /had/ been rattled, but had gotten over it much faster than she had. She couldn't sense him at all. Naruto pushed his way through the trees behind her, and Hinata barely noticed. "Hinata! Hinata? That is you, right? Hey, Hinata!" Naruto grabbed her shoulder and whirled her around. Her stomach dropped at the sight of him, at the sight of him, concerned for her. But all she could see when she looked at him was his face locked with Sakura's...

"Naruto?" Sakura's voice. Hinata frowned, looking in the direction the other kunoichi's voice came from. "Naruto, did you find anyone?"

"N-Naruto-kun!" Hinata blushed only a little, grabbing the blond's wrist. His skin felt hot under her fingers. "Don't tell anyone I was here!"

The Jinchuuriki blinked, staring at Hinata in puzzlement. Sakura called out again, but she wasn't getting any closer.

"P-Please, Naruto! If you...if you c-care about Sasuke, you need to make sure you don't tell anyone I was here!" Hinata felt a little badly at using the boy's best friend against him, but pushed those thoughts away. Naruto's eyes widened a little.

"Wh-?"

"N-no, Naruto! Please!" Hinata stared right back at Naruto, and there was a brief silence. Hinata couldn't sense Sasuke anywhere, he must have used another time and space jutsu. But she knew that kind of thing wasn't easy, it had to use a lot of chakra. He must have really wanted to get away from there...And she didn't blame him. But Hinata also knew the jutsu wouldn't have taken him very far. She could still catch up to him.

"Naruto? Are you okay? What's happened?" Sakura seemed to be a little closer now.

Naruto glanced over his shoulder in Sakura's direction, then back at Hinata. "Yeah! I'm okay, Sakura-chan! I'll be right there!" He shouted back after a moment. He pulled his hand away from Hinata, nodding past her to the trees and adding in a whisper, "You'd better go." Hinata blinked, then nodded curtly and forced herself to turn away from Naruto. "And...Hinata?" She looked back. "Bring Sasuke back to Konoha...please..."

Hinata frowned a little, biting her lower lip. She didn't respond out loud, because she had the distinct feeling Sasuke was never going to return to Konoha, at least not in the way Naruto wanted him to. Instead, she turned her head away from Naruto, and started off at a run.

Just as she was beginning to think of how she would find Sasuke again, she overbalanced. A wave of heat and energy hit her back and shoulders, and her feet were plucked out from underneath her. A moment later, the sound of the explosion crashed against her ears. Hinata forced herself to twist around, trying to get her feet into a position that would allow her to land and still remain conscious. She wasn't entirely successful, and a moment later she was hitting the ground hard, hip first.

Her side hit the dirt at an alarming rate, and the Hyuuga actually bounced off the ground, and she lifted her hands to her face and neck to protect herself as she hit the ground again, rolling across the earth until her back connected with a tree. Stars erupted in the Hyuuga's vision, and Hinata winced, slowly lowering her arms from her face. Nothing seemed to be broken.

Just as slowly, she stood. She knew there had to be scrapes and bruises and cuts all over her body, but she couldn't feel them. Hinata stumbled slightly, turning halfway around. The explosion had come from Naruto's direction. She was sure of it. But if she didn't go after Sasuke now, she didn't know how she would find him again. Torn, Hinata bit her lower lip, trying to make her decision.

The choice was made for her when Sakura's scream pierced the air. "NARUTO!" Hinata looked back in the direction of Naruto and the others, and bolted off towards them. But she had hardly gone three steps before she was flat on her back again. Hinata blinked, staring up at the noon sky with the back of her head throbbing. What had just happened? The girl rolled onto her stomach, then tentatively reached out with one hand. Her fingers met no resistance at first, then they brushed against a solid barrier, invisible, but there.

Frowning, Hinata stood, placing her palm against the barrier. It tingled and moved, stirring under her fingers as if it was made of chakra. Suddenly, Hinata remembered Kiba saying something about a chakra barrier, when Itachi had followed her. "Naruto! No!" Sakura's scream tore at her eardrums again, and Hinata felt panic blossom in her chest.

"Naruto?! Sakura?!" She shouted back, but there was no reply. Hinata forced herself to focus, pushing chakra into her palm. "More," She breathed, pouring the chakra into her hand until she could see it swirling. Then she drew her arm back, and flung her hand forward into the barrier, pushing the chakra out so it hit before her own hand.

There was another explosion, and Hinata flung up her arms, covering her face. But this one was smaller, and wasn't strong enough to knock her off her feet. Hinata didn't need to look to see that the barrier was gone, because she was suddenly senseing all sorts of things she hadn't sensed before. She could feel Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and Sai, just ahead. But more than that. She could feel the opponents that they faced. The real Itachi, and the real Kisame.

Terror seized her heart in its icy grip, and she hesitated. Itachi was there. He was after Naruto. She couldn't just walk away. Taking a deep breath, the Hyuuga activated her Byakugan and ran forward, stumbling slightly before falling into a good rhythm. She reached the group sooner than she had thought, and saw instantly what Sakura had been screaming about. Naruto's stomach was torn open, blood pouring down onto the dirt. He clutched the wound with a clawed hand, red chakra swirling around his body, but the injury was deep. Hinata thought she saw the blond's intestines before he sank to the ground, unconscious.

Just behind him stood Kakashi and Sakura, with Sai off to the left a little. Kisame stood with his sword outstretched, and blood-Naruto's blood-was dripping from its scales. Itachi was at his side, stoic and powerful as always. "Hinata!" Sai was the first one to notice her, since she was closest to him. Kakashi and Sakura also looked over at her, but the others were absorbed in the battle. There wasn't really any time for questions.

Itachi turned his gaze from Naruto to Hinata, and there was a brief flicker of something in his eyes, but then he was looking back at Naruto again. Sakura saw the distraction, and darted forward, trying to get to Naruto. Suddenly, there was a second Itachi, right in front of the pink haired kunoichi. Hinata saw the chakra signature in the clone, and her eyes widened. "Sakura! No!" She bolted forward, but Kakashi beat her to it, diving on top of the Chuunin as the clone exploded. Sai turned his body, shielding Hinata from the blast. The Hyuuga was aware of what exactly the explosions had been earlier.

"Kakashi-sensei! Sakura!" There was no sign of either of them at first, but she could still sense them, which meant they had to be alive. Hinata pushed Sai away as the dust cleared, only to see Itachi leaning over Naruto and lifting him onto one of his shoulders. Sai grabbed her arm, as if afraid she'd try to run to Naruto's aid. She wanted to, certainly, but fear had frozen her feet in place.

"Take the Jinchuuriki, i'll take care of these two." The blue skinned shinobi said, and Sai stepped in front of Hinata a little. Itachi seemed to pause, looking directly at Hinata. Quickly, she dropped her gaze to his collarbone, remembering the Tsukiyomi. He didn't say anything, merely straightened. Apparently, this meant Kisame could do whatever he wanted, because he launched forward, lifting his sword over his head.

Sai reached over his shoulder, drawing his katana and swinging it around in front of him to meet the sharklike blade. It should have cut right through the katana, but there was a clash of chakra, which Sai had lined the katana with. A moment later, the chakra seemed to get eaten, swept up into Kisame's sword. "Heh." Kisame smirked, baring sharpened teeth that stretched past his lips. The shinobi, without hardly any effort, cut through Sai's katana in one long stroke, and blood erupted from Sai's shoulder.

The boy let out a yell of pain, reeling away from Kisame and sinking to his knees. Kisame spun his sword around, then swung it at the joint of Sai's neck and shoulders. Hinata dove forward, tackling Sai to the ground. She felt the buffer of Samehada overhead, and rolled to one side, pulling Sai with her. She pulled him to his feet and he leaned against her, the blood still gushing from the deep wound in his shoulder. Hinata wrapped one arm around his waist, holding him up.

Kisame slashed with Samehada again, and Hinata used a small splash of chakra to leap out of range, taking Sai with her. "You might as well run, girl." The shark shinobi chuckled, resting his sword over one shoulder.

Hinata tightened her grip around Sai's waist, looking past Kisame to Naruto. She hesitated, taking half a step back. They couldn't just leave him behind. "Sai...please..." She whispered, shaking him a little. He didn't move, and she noticed his arm had fallen from his shoulder. "No...S-Sai...come on..." She shook him again, and Kisame took a step towards her. She stumbled, Sai's inert form throwing off her balance.

Kisame brandished Samehada, and Hinata could practically feel her chakra draining away already. There was no way she could attack him without dropping Sai, and she couldn't get away fast enough. The Hyuuga squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for what she was sure would be a fatal shot, but the blow never landed. "I have another thought." Itachi said quietly, and Hinata risked sliding one eye open. She nearly screamed. Samehada was poised just above her head, so she could see all the individual scales on the blade. The reason it hadn't crushed her skull in was Itachi's hand, gripping Kisame's wrist. He had left Naruto behind, lying helpless on the ground.

"Hm? What is it, Itachi-senpai?" The Hoshigaki glanced at the Uchiha, blinking in curiosity.

"We can't extract the Kyuubi until we've extracted all the other Bijuu." Itachi turned his gaze to Hinata, who couldn't help but stare back, almost clinging to Sai at that point, inwardly praying for him to wake up. "We might as well make a deal. You want to save his life, Hyuuga? At least for a little while?"Kisame chuckled as Itachi spoke, moving Samehada away from Hinata's head. Trembling, she straightened, but found herself unable to speak.

"You work for us, and give us the information we need about the leaf village, and as long as you do exactly as we say, the Kyuubi boy will live." Itachi leaned down, his eyes boring into Hinata's. "Well? What do you say, Hyuuga?" He purred.

Hinata shivered violently, glancing briefly at Kisame who was smirking widely. It made her want to turn tail and run away, and she dropped her gaze to the ground, still unable to answer. But the longer she stood here, the longer Sai and Naruto were bleeding out, and she still didn't know what had happened to Sakura and Kakashi. "A-all right..." She whispered, but no sound came out.

"What's that?" Itachi leaned in further, and when he spoke, his lips touched her ear, sending another cold shiver down her body. The Hyuuga focused on Sai's heartbeat, still steady. She could feel it faintly through her hand, near his ribs. Was Naruto still alive? Were Sakura and Kakashi still alive?

"All r-right!" She repeated herself, leaning away from Itachi as much as she could without falling over.

"Good." Itachi turned his head slightly, teeth grazing Hinata's cheek as he pulled away. "We'll be in touch, Hyuuga." Hinata closed her eyes again, wishing and praying that the two Akatsuki would just leave. There was another burst of chakra, then nothing. Hinata waited a moment, then two, before opening her eyes. The area was empty, with no sight of either enemy shinobi. Naruto was lying motionless twenty yards away, a pool of blood surrounding his stomach and back. Hinata couldn't move at first, then without warning, her legs gave out from underneath her.

She sank to the ground none too gracefully, doing her best not to land on top of Sai. Hinata lay on her side, arms wrapped around her-she had now let go of Sai- and her legs drawn to her chest. She was tempted to start sobbing uncontrollably, to just give in. It seemed so attractive to her. No responsibility. She wouldn't have to think about what she had just done. Wouldn't have to think about the fact that she had very nearly just joined the Akatsuki. She had betrayed the Leaf Village. Betrayed Kiba, Neji...Naruto...

"Naruto..." Hinata whispered, lifting her head off the ground, bits of leaves stuck in her hair. Despite her unwillingness, she could feel tears on her cheeks. Suddenly, all thoughts of letting go or giving up drained away as quickly as they had come. Hinata rose onto her hands and knees, rolling Sai carefully onto his back and pulling away the top of his shirt. After a moment of struggling, she saw there was no point in trying to be careful, and fumbled a kunai out of her pouch. Hands shaking a little, she tore away his bizarre belly shirt. She had never really noticed how odd it was before. She continued to cut, and finally managed to tear away the boy's long sleeve. She bunched up the remnants of the shirt and tried to make it into some sort of pillow, resting Sai's head on it.

"Water...I need water or something..." The girl murmured, glancing around as if hoping a stream would erupt out of no where. She focused, listening hard. Nothing. Hinata looked back at Sai's wound. It was deep and ragged, but there were pieces of grit and dirt caked inside. It _needed _to be cleaned. But she didn't know where any water was nearby..."Dammit!" Hinata cried out, slamming her fist onto the ground next to her. "Dammit...I need _water_!" A tiny sob racked her chest, making her tremble. She couldn't think, couldn't focus.

"What's wrong with you?"

The voice behind her made her give a small scream, jumping and trying to turn around at the same time, which resulted in her flat on her butt, hands splayed on either side of her. Hinata blinked and looked up, seeing Sasuke standing there with his arms folded across his bare chest. "You...what are you...I..." The Hyuuga spluttered lamely, unable to form coherent sentences. She didn't need to, because the raven haired boy spoke for her.

"Is this Naruto's team?"

"I...yes...I don't...N-Naruto-kun is over there, he was really hurt...and Sakura and Kakashi...I d-don't know what happened to them. But I can't find any water and the w-wound is going to g-get infected if I d-don't-"

"Stop talking."

Hinata was all too happy to oblige, and her hands were shaking so badly by this point she couldn't hold a needle and thread anyway.

"Hn. I'll be back." Sasuke started to form a handsign, and Hinata looked up urgently, not wanting to be left alone. The raven tilted his head, then made a small scoffing sound in the back of his throat, completing the handsign. A moment later he vanished, leaves swirling around his feet where he had just been. Hinata looked back down at Sai, and reached out with two fingers, finding the pulse in his neck. She focused on it, faint but still there, counting each beat as a second in time. One...two...three...

One hundred and fifty seven seconds later, Sasuke reappeared, holding several canteens of water in each hand, connected by small lengths of rope. "Go find Naruto, I'll take care of Sai. Then we'll find Sakura and Kakashi." He said quietly, holding out half a dozen of the canteens, a roll of gauze, and a small box which held needle and thread. All of which Hinata took.

"R-Right..." She whispered, scrambling to her feet and hurrying off in the direction of Naruto as Sasuke crouched by Sai, starting to dress his wound with a roll of gauze he had brought with him. Hinata tried not to look at him, moving over to Naruto and pulling up the base of his shirt. But, just as she had with Sai, she ended up pulling the article of clothing off all the way. A furious blush crept into her cheeks, worse than the one she had when she was stitching Sasuke. Curiously, Naruto's wound was already clotting, faster than any normal person's would. She guessed that had to do with the Kyuubi. Hinata spun off the lid of one canteen, pouring water onto the injury and wiping all the grit away with a piece of cloth. The wound was big, but not deep, and there was no reason to stitch it up, so Hinata merely wrapped Naruto's stomach with the gauze as carefully as she could.

Afterwards, she stood, and activated her Byakugan, searching the trees. She found Sakura almost instantly, lying motionless on the ground. But chakra was still circulating in her bloodstream at a normal rate, so she couldn't be too injured. Kakashi was right next to her, his chakra was barely stirring. Quickly, she rushed off in his direction. His back was bloodstained, and covered with many small injuries from the explosion, but he was otherwise unharmed. Sighing with relief, Hinata tried to make him comfortable, then straightened and looked back at Sasuke. He had finished with Sai, and was standing with his arms folded again. "Th-they're all okay..." Hinata called to him. He didn't respond, merely started to form a handsign again. "W-wait!" She cried out, running after him.

He paused, looking at her blankly. "I...where...where are you going?" The kunoichi stammered.

"After Itachi."

Unexplained fury welled in Hinata's chest, probably some kind of delayed, misplaced reaction. "I-Itachi?!" Her eyes, previously wide, narrowed to slits, and without thinking, she slapped at Sasuke's arm. "ITACHI?!" She repeated his name, slapping the younger Uchiha's arm again. Sasuke blinked, looking mildly surprised, and as if he was afraid for her sanity. Hinata reached out and slapped his shoulder again harshly. "He was here! He was here, attacking Naruto! Him and his partner did all this! And you...you ran off!" She smacked him more rapidly with both hands, beating at his chest. "Just because you were too...afraid to deal with whatever happened, because of that, Naruto nearly died!"

Sasuke's expression didn't change until the end, when everything Hinata was saying started to sink in. He uttered the most idiotic phrase Hinata had ever heard. "Itachi was here?"

"YES!" Hinata's voice rose in pitch until she was afraid she'd cry. She lifted her hand to strike him again, but Sasuke gripped her wrist, stopping her instantly.

"Where did he go?" Sasuke couldn't stop with the idiocy. Hinata swung out with her other hand, and Sasuke caught that wrist too.

"He's gone, okay?! He left, he's gone, and you..." Hinata's initial hysteria was wearing off quickly. Today seemed a day for uncontrollable mood swings. Hinata blamed it on stress. "You just..." Oh dammit...Now she _was_ going to start crying. Sasuke was through looking irritated, and he looked downright afraid now. "Wh-what?! Afraid...afraid of the emotional woman about to start sobbing all o-over you?!"

Sasuke continued staring, releasing Hinata's hands as if they were infected with something horribly contagious. As if he really was terrified of her. He took a step back, looking over his shoulder as if someone would swoop in and save him. "You know what? J-just go. Go after Itachi. Abandon Naruto and Sakura again. Whatever. I'm sure they're...they're used to it by now!" The anxiety in Sasuke's eyes turned to irritation. Hinata didn't care. "Abandon Konoha and just think about yourself! No one cares, you selfish...bastard!"

There was another pause. Hinata thought Sasuke might hit her, he certainly looked like he wanted to. "You don't know..."

"I know enough!" And now she couldn't shut up. She wasn't thinking anymore. "I know that Naruto did...he would've done...anything for you! And you just...you didn't think about him at all-!"

"You've said all this already." He cut her off, and Hinata realized he was right. "Now shut your mouth. I'm leaving, and it looks like Naruto is waking up."

"H-he is?" Hinata turned to look, and frowned in puzzlement. Naruto was lying just as still as he had been a few moments ago. Not even his eyes stirred behind closed lids. "Are you sure-?" She turned back to Sasuke, but the Uchiha was gone. It took her a few seconds to realize what had happened, and she felt just as irritated as Sasuke had looked a few moments ago. The girl sighed, then moved to sit by Naruto until he really did wake up.

* * *

That moment didn't come for several hours, after the sun had set. No one else woke up either, although Sai did stir a little, and Kakashi frequently grumbled. He and Sakura had probably suffered concussions. Hinata must have dozed off, although it was the sort of sleep where her mind was only half shut down, and at the same time half awake, half aware of the things around her. When she slid her eyes open again, she jumped slightly. Naruto was awake, and he was looking directly at her. "Hin...ata...?" The Hyuuga felt the horribly familiar blush crawling across her face and looked away quickly. "What...happened? Where's Itachi and that fish guy?" His eyes widened in astonishment. "Did...did _you _kill them?"

"N-no..." Hinata didn't know how to explain what had happened. She couldn't tell Naruto what she had done. "I just...I...Uhm..." Unfortunately, she couldn't think of a good enough lie, either. She decided on something halfway in between the truth and a lie. "Sasuke-kun, he showed up. And he chased them away."

"Sasuke was here...?" Naruto sat up, although he looked fairly dizzy. Hinata bit her lip and reached out, putting a hand on his shoulder to keep him from standing. "Where'd he..."

"He chased Itachi. I don't know if he even noticed us." Hinata was troubled by the almost furious look on Naruto's face. Would he jump up and run off after Sasuke, who had vanished hours ago? The Hyuuga was trying to figure out what she would do in that situation when Naruto said something that threw her off guard.

"Do you like me, Hinata?"

God...Hinata was just starting to think her blushing days were over. She was proven very wrong at the question. The blush on her face was of epic proportions. "W-well...I uhm...You're a great person...so of course I d-do..."

"No, I mean...like...as in..._like._" Naruto shifted so he was on his hands and knees, leaning to one side so Hinata couldn't look at anything else. She made eye contact with him, certain she was going to burst into flame any second now.

"I...uhm...I..." Her voice was a petrified squeak now.

"Sakura and I aren't together."

Why couldn't she faint? Fainting was great...She hadn't really appreciated it until now. It wasn't very cold outside, and blushing didn't even keep her warm. It just made her agonizingly uncomfortable. "O-oh...I didn't...I-I mean..."

"That kiss was just...she was missing Sasuke. We all miss Sasuke." Naruto shifted, moving forward a little. "Are you okay?"

Hinata shook her head. Naruto was very close now. And even if she had wanted to move, her entire body was frozen.

"Oh...I wish you'd come back to Konoha, Hinata. I don't want to lose another friend, you know?"

Friend...Hinata felt her eyes stinging. The word had never sounded so disgusting. So horrible. Friend. A great friend. Like a sister. "R-right...I'll come back...w-with you and Kakashi-sensei and...and...S-Sakura..."

Naruto tilted his head. He had paused, and was squirming around a little, still on his hands and knees in front of Hinata. "Do you like me?" He repeated the question. Hinata still found she couldn't answer. Couldn't think at all. "I guess...I should find out on my own?" Sure. Great idea. Then Hinata wouldn't have to speak ever again. She could just sink into the ground and die. That would be perfect, since her wonderful talent for fainting seemed to have abandoned her. Naruto squirmed a little more, then leaned forward and kissed her firmly on the lips.

A moment passed.

Then two.

Hinata didn't move at all. She wasn't entirely sure this was happening. Maybe she had gotten hit on the head again. Maybe she was dreaming. Or worse, maybe this /was/ real and Naruto was just missing Sasuke. And most of all, why was Hinata still thinking about Sasuke at all, when Naruto's hand was moving to the side of her face, brushing hair away from her cheek?


	7. Normality

**Author: I wanted to get in some nice, calm, sweet stuff in this chapter. I know (or I hope) there's at least one of you who really want this chapter to come out. Which is really all the motivation I need. And usually, I end up making SasukexHinata AMVs for inspiration, and watch them while I write. Is that egotistical? I don't think so. (I watch other people's videos too) Anyway. Read and enjoy, and reviews are love, you know. And oh no, this chapter is kind of long. Oh well.  
**

* * *

It felt so perfect. So right. He was kissing her. For years, Hinata had dreamed about this. Both literally and metaphorically. She had hoped and prayed that someday, Naruto would return her feelings. And now that it was actually happening, it didn't feel real. Not in the surreal dreamlike way she had expected, but in a more subtle way. He was kissing her. The thought ran through her mind, revolving and whirling in uncontrollable ways. Nothing made sense. And yet it all seemed so perfectly normal. Hinata became aware that she was kissing him back. Still lightly, still very gently, their lips closing and opening, brushing against each others time after time. And somehow now they were both straightened, on their knees, arms entwined around each other.

Then Naruto pulled away. Hinata looked at him, and he looked at her, and the blush that had temporarily slid away returned, a little less strong. "N-Naruto-kun..." Her voice didn't sound  
like her own anymore. "I..." Along with her blush, thoughts of Sasuke had been driven from her mind. But she still couldn't think. Not at all. "I..."

"Heh." Naruto smiled a little sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Will you come back to Konoha now?"

Hinata returned the smile after a few moments, still blushing faintly. But while they had kissed, her mind had melted into perfectly calm nothingness. And now...now things were coming back to her. She had betrayed Konoha by leaving. And while maybe that was forgivable, the promise she had made to Itachi certainly wasn't. How could she...she had...No. She wouldn't think about it. She couldn't think about it. Maybe it would just work itself out. Hinata bit her lower lip nervously. Sasuke might even kill Itachi before it ever came to that.

Maybe, if she was lucky, Itachi wouldn't even need her help. She didn't think she would even be able to give it anyway. Saying that she would was one thing, but actually doing it...?

"Hinata?"

The Hyuuga realized she had been quiet for a fairly significant amount of time. She smiled again. "Y-yes...I'll come back to Konoha. D-do you think Tsunade-sama will be upset with me?"

Naruto's grin flickered slightly, but his voice was as confident as ever. "Nah, of course not! She won't care!" He climbed to his feet, and Hinata blinked up at him. Did he really heal that quickly? And did he really believe that? They had been ordered to capture Sasuke...and she had done the same thing as him. "Just don't worry about it, okay? Its not like i'd let her send you away or throw you in jail or whatever." Naruto held out one hand to Hinata to help her up. The girl looked up at him, and smiled shyly, taking the hand and pulling on it so he fell down next to her. Laughing, Naruto settled back against a tree, draping one arm around Hinata, who blushed at her own boldness.

They still had a few hours until dawn. Sakura and Kakashi and Sai were out cold. They probably wouldn't wake up for a while. And where was Sasuke? Had he managed to track down Itachi? Hinata hesitated, turning even redder as Naruto made himself more comfortable, hugging Hinata close. How was he so good at this? It was like they had been together forever. An elation was slowly spreading through her body, not unlike the one following her first kiss, and the smile refused to vanish from her face. Sighing happily, Hinata rested her head back against Naruto's shoulder, letting her eyes slide shut.

* * *

The next morning, Hinata woke with Kakashi standing over her, prodding her leg with the toe of his shoe. She stirred, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Naruto was still snoring calmly, and Sakura was bending over Sai, deliberately not looking at either of them. Hinata frowned a little. If Sakura had just been upset about Sasuke, why did she seem upset now? The answer should've been painfully obvious, but Hinata didn't see it.

"Naruto-kun, wake up." Hinata poked the blond's stomach tentatively. He snorted a little, flailing slightly and opening his eyes.

"Whoozair?" He mumbled, squeezing one eye open and looking first at Hinata, then at Kakashi.

"We're leaving, Naruto. Come on." Kakashi didn't question what had happened, or how Hinata had gotten there. The Hyuuga had a sinking feeling that Kakashi would raise any issues with Tsunade. Suddenly, she had doubts about returning to Konoha. Sure, Naruto had said it would be okay. But Naruto really didn't have all that much power. At least, not enough to be making those sort of promises.

Naruto stood, and the others all prepared to leave. Hinata followed his lead, her back a little stiff from being in the same position all night. Everything was horribly silent. Even Naruto wasn't saying anything. Then finally, Kakashi spoke again. "Lets get going." Sakura made a small sound from Kakashi's other side, and Hinata glanced at her. The other kunoichi looked at Hinata too, and Hinata saw something in the pink haired girl's eyes.

Did Sakura _hate_ her? The way she was staring...emerald eyes filled with an utter loathing. Words flickered through Hinata's mind, inspired by the other girl's expression. Venom, ice, steel, cold, harsh, blame...What was going on? Hinata tore her gaze away, looking at Naruto. He had said that the kiss between him and Sakura meant nothing...had he been lying? Naruto surely wouldn't lie to her. He wasn't that kind of person. But Hinata couldn't think of anything else, any other reason that the girl would be furious with her. "Naruto-kun," She started to speak, but a moment later the group set off at a run through the trees, back towards Konoha.

Naruto flashed a smile that melted her heart, and grasped Hinata's hand in his own. His fingers were dry, but pleasantly warm. "C'mon!" And just like that, Hinata was running along beside Naruto. Kakashi and Sakura were up front, and Sai was in the middle. Hinata felt suddenly glad that she was in shape. She wasn't very fast, at least not compared to Kiba or Lee. But she had pretty good stamina. She could probably run all night, if she had to. Yeah, she'd be exhausted in the morning if she tried to do that, but she would be able to. Naruto kept hold of her hand until they fell into a steadier pace. At that point, he released her simply so they could run easier.

They continued in this way for several hours until finally Hinata began to recognize where they were. Just after she recognized that, the walls of Konoha came into view. Kakashi paused, just outside the large gates, and the four shinobi following him stopped as well. Finally, Kakashi spoke to her. "Hinata. You will need to come with us to the Hokage's mansion." Hinata was slightly startled by the tone of his voice.

"O-Of course..." She replied, wishing she could take hold of Naruto's hand again. But she was too nervous to do it on her own, and Naruto was busy glaring at Kakashi. Kakashi ignored Naruto.

"You weren't gone from the village for more than a week, so it should be fine. It would have been no problem at all, except that the Hyuuga clan filed a complaint with the Hokage, saying security in the Leaf Village was lacking, because it allowed you to be abducted. We just need you to say you left of your own free will-"

Now, Naruto did interrupt. "Oh come on, Kakashi-sensei! She was only trying to help me!"

Hinata looked at Naruto, surprised and confused. What?

"She saw Sasuke, and she went after him, because she knows I miss him! And it was lucky she did, because when she found him, Sasuke drove off Itachi!" Hinata suddenly sensed there was something a little deeper than just her absence going on. She looked away from Naruto, and saw Sakura's face again. The kunoichi looked like she was about to break down and start sobbing. Naruto was saying something a little puzzling, and Hinata thought she should listen. "I told you! I told you Sasuke wasn't lost! He still wants to protect us! He still cares! You need to have more faith in him!" Kakashi had pulled Naruto off to the side a little, but the blond's voice was so loud that there really wasn't any point in trying for privacy.

Hinata saw a flicker of wetness in Naruto's eyes. Whatever Kakashi was saying was upsetting him a lot. The Hyuuga hesitated. She wanted to go over to him and hug him. But what if he didn't want her to? What if he wanted some space? She looked down, frowning, and sensed movement to the side. On instinct, she looked up again. Sakura was standing beside Naruto, and she was wrapping one arm around his shoulders. Naruto hung his head, and Kakashi turned, looking at Hinata. "You ready, Hinata?" He asked. Hinata didn't hear him at first, she was watching Naruto and Sakura. Their embrace was innocent enough, but Hinata felt a wave of jealousy anyway. Was it okay, that he and Sakura were hugging? Did it matter at all? Did Naruto think about the fact that she was standing in plain view...? Kakashi repeated his question.

"Y-yes. I'm ready." Hinata jumped slightly, and forced herself to look away from Naruto and Sakura. Naruto didn't seem to notice, and Hinata felt a pang of disappointment mingled with irritation for herself. She didn't own Naruto...and they had just kissed once. It wasn't as if he had said he loved her or anything. Another pang. He had said she was his friend. Hinata walked boldly away from Naruto, and past Kakashi, although the Jounin fell into step beside her as they made their way up to the Hokage's mansion.

* * *

Tsunade looked tired. Not upset. Just tired. Hinata hovered awkwardly in the doorway, hoping Tsunade would take the lead and ask most of the questions. She did. All Hinata really had to do was stand there and nod every once in a while. Finally, Tsunade held out a piece of paper and a pen. Hinata scanned the official looking paper. It basically just said that she had left the village on her own business, and had had every intention of returning, and had no intention of every betraying the Leaf. Hinata signed quickly, as she knew she would be expected to do. Anything less would be suspicious.

But inside, Hinata's emotions were in a turmoil. She had sworn allegiance to the Leaf village, and she had told Itachi she'd provide the Akatsuki with information about the Leaf. Hinata felt a small spark of rebellion. She had absolutely no obligation to keep her word to an Akatsuki member. She'd just make sure she stayed inside the village from now on. She'd find a way. And eventually, the Akatsuki would be weeded out. She would never have to deal with her betrayal. It wasn't even a betrayal anyway. Not really. She could always say later that she was lying to Itachi to get him to leave.

Hinata signed the paper and looked up. Tsunade had already immersed herself in parchment and scrolls. "Uhm..." She wanted to know if she was free to leave. But Tsunade didn't seem to hear or notice her. Tentatively, Hinata took a step towards the door. Still, Tsunade didn't look at her. Hinata took another step, then another, and finally bolted from the room and out into the hallway.

She nearly knocked Naruto to the ground. In fact, she would have fallen herself, but Naruto's arms automatically closed around her when they collided, and kept her on her feet. Hinata's mind was muddled, the stress of what she had done finally beginning to take it's toll. Despite her determination to keep quiet, she couldn't help but tremble every time she thought of Itachi. She never wanted to see those Sharingan eyes again, boring into hers with such cold cruelty. The memory of the crimson irises blotted out her normal thought pattern, and she reflexively fought against Naruto's embrace.

"Hey, Hinata!" The boy's voice didn't register with her at all, and Hinata thrashed, trying to squirm away from the blond, who released his hold on her shoulders and took her face in his hands. Gently, but in a swift motion, he lifted her chin and forced her to look at him. "Hinata! Its me! Its Naruto!" Finally, some form of recognition dawned in the Hyuuga's eyes.

"N-Naruto-kun?"

"Yeah..." There was a brief pause, during which Hinata stared up at Naruto and he stared right back. Hinata had the overwhelming urge to start sobbing, but she held it back, unsure of why she was doing so. But Naruto seemed to sense it, because he folded her in his arms once again. Hinata blinked, feeling his head against hers. It was a completely new feeling. No one had ever done that before. At first, Hinata didn't respond at all. She thought maybe it was an accident, then, when Naruto didn't move, she let out a long breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "What happened in there? Are you okay?" Naruto didn't exactly release her, but he pulled back, looking down into her face.

Hinata hesitated, then decided on some version of the truth. "I just had to sign another of those contracts...Then Tsunade-sama said I could leave."

"Contracts?"

"Yeah...You know, the ones we sign in our first day at the Academy."

"Oh." It didn't really look like Naruto was listening anymore. Hinata smiled faintly, and Naruto took her hand, other arm dropping away from her shoulders. "I just glanced up and you were gone. You should've waited for me, I would've gone in to see Granny Tsunade with you." As they walked, Naruto swung his hand a little, bringing Hinata's along with him. She couldn't help but giggle slightly, and Naruto turned to look at her, a bit of a smile on his face. "What?"

"N-Nothing." Hinata bit her lower lip to stifle the laughter, but her smile still pulled at the corners of her mouth.

The corners of Naruto's eyes scrunched slightly as a grin spread across his face. He reached forward, and his free hand poked Hinata in the stomach. The Hyuuga let out a small squeak, slapping at Naruto's hand. He laughed, and poked her again, releasing her other hand. Hinata squirmed away, and reached out to poke Naruto back. He let her, but it didn't seem to do anything except motivate him more. One of his hands darted out, tickling Hinata's ribs. The girl giggled loudly. "What was that?"

"Nothing!" Hinata slapped at his hands again, but not hard enough to do any damage. She spun backwards, poking randomly at Naruto's stomach. They were outside the Hokage's mansion now, and it was nearly one o'clock, so the sun was high in the sky.

"Nothing?" Naruto reached out for another poke, and Hinata sidestepped, feeling very triumphant for her quick maneuvering. The triumph was short lived, as Naruto's other arm was waiting, and closed around her waist, pulling her close to him. "I win." He wrapped his left arm over his right one, smiling widely down at the Hyuuga, who blushed faintly but returned the smile.

"O-okay. You win." Hinata looped her arms around Naruto's middle, enjoying the sensation of being so close to him.

"Yaaay." Naruto leaned in, nuzzling Hinata's forehead gently with his own. Hinata turned her head, and kissed the boy lightly on the cheek without thinking about it. Instantly, her face took on a pink tint, but Naruto just smiled. "C'mon." He reached down and took her hand again. Carefully, slowly, he threaded his fingers with the Hyuuga's, kissing the side of her forehead lightly. Then he turned away and broke into a brisk walk, pulling Hinata along behind him. The Hyuuga quickened her pace a little so she drew even with Naruto. Once she was beside him, she found it suddenly very easy to keep the same pace as him. Naruto was threading his way through the village, and Hinata almost laughed again when she realized they were heading to Ichiraku.

"Hey! Teuchi! Ayame! Its me, Naruto! I'm back from my mission!" Naruto released Hinata's hand as he sprang up onto a stool, and Hinata climbed onto the stool next to him, trying to act like she wasn't nervous at all. Like she belonged here and found it perfectly normal. But she had never found anything less normal in her entire life. Naruto /loved/ Ichiraku. It was something he was very passionate about, and he had wanted to share it with her. Hinata folded her hands in her lap, watching Naruto and Teuchi talking while Ayame moved around behind the counter, making ramen. Naruto poked Hinata's stomach again, and she turned to look at him, still smiling faintly. "What do you want, Hinata? I'm paying." Naruto seemed so proud of the fact that he was going to treat someone to ramen that Hinata felt guilty if she turned him down. Nevermind the fact that when she was around Naruto, she wasn't hungry. When she was near him, she felt like she didn't need anything.

"Uhm...Whatever you're getting is fine for me too, Naruto-kun."

"Cool." Naruto's feet rested on the bar of the counter, swinging himself from side to side. Suddenly, he reached over and brushed Hinata's hand with his own, picking up a fork. Ayame placed a bowl of ramen in front of each of them, and Hinata reached for her own utensil, looking down at the steaming soup while Naruto slurped away to her left. Hinata closed her eyes, eating her own soup slowly. None of this felt real, and she forced herself not to think about anything. _Just enjoy it._ She reminded herself. _While it lasts._

Naruto finished his meal in a surprisingly quick amount of time. Hinata had barely taken three bites of her own ramen-it was still very hot. But Naruto was looking at her in puzzlement. "Don't you like it, Hinata? I could get you a different kind, if you want-"

"N-No! I do like it!" Hinata reached out on impulse and grasped Naruto's wrist, blushing a little at the contact. But she didn't want to upset him for any reason. "It's just...It's so h-hot, Naruto-kun. Didn't you burn your tongue?"

Naruto blinked, looking down at Hinata's hand on his wrist, then back up to the Hyuuga's face. He smiled after a moment's confusion. "Well yeah. But you get more flavor when it's fresh! And I heal really fast anyway." His smile stretched into a grin. "I don't mind waiting for yours to cool down, though."

Hinata blushed a little more for no apparent reason, and removed her hand from Naruto's arm. She looked down at her ramen and nodded, fiddling with her fork a little, stirring the soup so that the steam coiled up and surrounded her. It was still extremely hot. She glanced at Naruto, and almost laughed out loud. He was practically drooling, expression fixed on the ramen. "Would you like some of mine, Naruto-kun?" She pushed the bowl towards him tentatively, and Naruto lifted one hand to the back of his head, ruffling his hair.

"Well sure, if you don't mind." But he was already reaching for his own fork, and scooting closer to Hinata. Still, the Hyuuga didn't feel hungry. Naruto made her stomach feel like it didn't even exist. Just being near him sent a wonderfully warm tingle through her entire body. She felt lighter, and at times she thought it might be possible to go without breathing, if only she was touching him. Hinata smiled, and leaned to the side, resting her shoulder against Naruto's. He looked up from the ramen, and slurped up a noodle, then grinned widely. The blonde wriggled one arm around Hinata's waist, and Hinata closed her eyes. Her head moved sideways, tilting against his. _I love you, Naruto-kun..._ She thought to herself, and instantly felt like she should be ashamed. How could she be so infatuated with him already?

Within another fifteen minutes, Naruto had finished the second bowl of ramen. "Oh! Your dad's probably wondering about where you are! Dammit! I totally forgot! We'd better get you home!" Naruto stood, and reached for his wallet. Teuchi waved one hand.

"Those two were on the house. Go enjoy your afternoon." He said lightly, and Naruto blinked, then laughed.

"All right! Thanks! C'mon, Hinata." He grabbed the Hyuuga's hand and pulled her from her seat, darting up the street. Hinata stumbled, laughing at the boy's enthusiasm. Then the thought of going home washed away part of her Naruto-induced-euphoria.

"W-wait, Naruto-kun!" She squeaked, and Naruto glanced over his shoulder, slowing to a jog as they neared the Hyuuga estate. "I...I don't really...w-want to go home...just y-yet." Naruto's grip loosened out of puzzlement, and Hinata fidgeted, chewing on her lower lip. "I mean...later tonight...but right now...could I stay with y-you? For a little bit?"

The boy's cerulean eyes were wide, then he smiled again. He smiled so easily. "Sure. I don't mind. Is there something you actually wanted to do?"

Hinata thought that over for a few seconds, then smiled. "Yes. I actually had this dream, once..." Naruto blushed a little, and the sight of it made Hinata giggle. "Do you want to go train? I c-could use the practice."

Naruto looked surprised, but pleasantly so. "Yeah! Okay!" He started to reach for her hand again, but this time Hinata moved faster, and grabbed Naruto's fingers, darting out in front of him and pulling him along behind her. Naruto laughed, and increased his pace so they were running side by side.

* * *

"Are you thirsty?" Naruto moved quickly into the kitchen, and Hinata flopped onto the couch. Her cheeks were flushed red, and she could feel sweat shining on her forehead. She let her arms rest across her stomach and tilted her head back, panting.

"Some water w-would be great, actually." So much for not needing anything when she was with Naruto. But they had been training all afternoon. The sun was just starting to set, and Hinata knew she really should be getting home soon.

"Okay." Naruto reappeared a moment later, holding two bottles of water. One, he handed to Hinata. The second he opened right away and drank almost all at once. Hinata blinked, then decided decorum wasn't important around Naruto. Hesitantly, she drank from her own bottle, nearly chugging the water in an effort to satiate both her thirst and the sudden nerves swimming around in her bloodstream. Finally, she paused for air, the bottle halfway empty. Her heart rate and breathing had slowed a little, so they were approaching normality once again.

Naruto sat down next to Hinata, leaning back on the couch the same way she was. "You've gotten a lot better, since that first time I saw you fight Neji." His remark was so unexpected that Hinata choked a little on the water she had started drinking again. Coughing lightly, she lifted her head to look at the blond.

"R-really?" How long had he been watching her?

"Yeah. Neji just had some problems, you know? I don't think he meant to hurt you that badly." Naruto seemed to realize how this had sounded, and instantly a frown creased his tanned face. "I mean...Uhm..."

Hinata smiled faintly. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. I know what you mean. And Neji and I get along really well, now."

"Oh. Good." The frown was erased from his brow, and Naruto seemed to relax. "I...I really like you, Hinata."

Had he just stuttered? Hinata blinked, then her already pink cheeks darkened a little more. "I really like you too, Naruto-kun." Her voice was nearly a whisper.

Naruto leaned in, and Hinata kept her eyes open until the last second before his lips touched hers. The kiss wasn't quite as soft as it had been the first time, and Hinata felt his tongue brush against the outside of her mouth. It was cautious, almost asking permission. Timidly, Hinata parted her lips, letting her own tongue dart out to touch his. He had a vaguely salty taste, but the effect was not altogether unpleasant. Hinata lifted one hand, placing it on Naruto's shoulder. The blond's arm slid around her waist very carefully, and he tilted his head. Hinata tilted hers the other way to allow the kiss to deepen.

Still, Naruto didn't make any more advancing type motions. His arm remained around her waist, and she was very close to him. Hinata sensed a slight change in the atmosphere. She wasn't entirely sure what it was, and she could've opened her eyes to see if something was wrong, but she feared if she did open her eyes, she would ruin the moment. And it was these sort of moments that she had been waiting for her entire life. The Hyuuga felt Naruto's teeth graze her lower lip. He didn't do it hard, but it surprised her enough that she made a small gasping noise, and a strange sort of growl emenated from Naruto's throat.

The next second, both Naruto's arms were tight around Hinata's waist, and he bit down again, this time hard enough to cause a moderate amount of pain. Hinata opened her eyes and her breath caught in her mouth. Red chakra was swirling around Naruto's head and shoulders, and his eyes had darkened to a deep crimson. Unable to control herself, Hinata thought of Itachi's eyes, boring into her very soul. "N-Naruto-kun." The blond frowned, and Hinata saw with relief that he had managed to stay in control of himself. For the most part.

"Hinata...? Oh god, i'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" He didn't sound panicked, but he was looking at her lip with a deep, troubled frown on his face. And the marks on his cheeks were ragged, his eyes still red.

"I...I..." Hinata tasted blood, and she pulled away from Naruto, not wanting to look into his eyes anymore.

"I'm okay now, Hinata! Really. Look, i'm over here." Naruto scooted over to the other side of the couch, but Hinata couldn't bring herself to even glance in his direction.

"I-I think I sh-should g-get home now, Naruto-kun..." Hinata stood, feeling shaky. She looked deliberately at the ground, and made her way towards the door.

"Wait, Hinata!" Naruto scrambled to his feet and darted in front of Hinata. His voice sounded genuinely worried, almost scared. "Its okay, you don't have to leave! I wouldn't have hurt you!" Hinata tried to step around him, unable to explain the strange feeling of emptiness in the pit of her stomach nor the burning in her throat. "Hinata, please..." Naruto grasped Hinata's upper arms. "Please, just look at me." There was so much sadness in Naruto's voice that Hinata felt compelled to look up.

His eyes, his face, his chakra, they were all back to normal. And his gaze was filled with the same sort of sadness Hinata was feeling herself. She realized he probably thought she was running away because she was afraid of the Kyuubi. She couldn't explain to him that she was more afraid of the red eyes themselves. That they made her see Itachi, and that the thought of him made her want to curl into a ball and cry. "Hinata...its happened before...Kyuubi comes out a little, when i'm...you know...kissing...But it's never anything uncontrollable, Hinata! Never!"

Hinata gently disentangled Naruto's hands from her arms. "I know, Naruto-kun. It's not the Kyuubi. That doesn't bother me, I promise." She took a deep breath to steady her voice. "I just really do need to get home." She paused, then leaned up and kissed Naruto lightly again. "Really." A faint smile touched her face. "I'll see you again tomorrow, okay?"

Naruto hesitated, clearly unsure if she was telling the truth. Eventually, he seemed to decide that she was. "Okay." He mirrored her half smile, and reached for her jacket. "Here you go. Do you want me to walk you home?"

"N-No, it's okay." Hinata tried for a bit of humor. "I think I know the way by now."

Naruto smiled all the way, and gave Hinata one final hug. Then the Hyuuga stepped outside. She pulled her jacket on over her shoulders as she walked, listening for the click signaling Naruto closing his door. When it never came, she glanced over her shoulder. Naruto was still standing there, leaning against the doorframe. Hinata felt another pang of guilt for hurting him, and lifted one hand in a wave. Even at this distance, she could see his expression brighten. He returned the wave wholeheartedly, and Hinata felt relief wash over her.

Then he did close the door, and Hinata turned back towards the street. She wrapped her jacket more tightly around herself, a faint breeze had swept through the buildings of Konoha, ruffling her hair. She was on her way to the Hyuuga estate, but she was passing through a different area of town, not really paying attention to where she was going.

Next thing she knew, Hinata was approaching a familiar area of the village. Not the one she expected, though. She knew if she took a left, at the next street, she would be just outside Sasuke's apartment. Hinata stopped, her left foot coming to a halt next to her right one so abruptly that she almost wasn't aware of the cessation of motion at first. She looked down the street, the wind still pulling and tugging at her limbs. Without thinking, she took a left, breaking into a sharp jog. She didn't know why, but she suddenly wanted to see Sasuke. And she felt certain he would be there, in his house. Hinata fell into a run, then an all out sprint. Her arms were pumping at her sides, and she burst through the front door of Sasuke's apartment, the now familiar cloud of dust pillowing up around the door and her feet.

No one was there. Hinata felt her heart pounding in her chest. What had she been expecting, really? And why was she even here? Still, Hinata slid into the house, closing the door behind her. Instantly, a feeling of safety washed over her. Puzzled, she made her way forward, stepping gingerly across the dust covered floor and stopping at the window. The sun had all but vanished beneath the horizon, and the center of the sky was a light lavender, lightening to the palest of oranges where the sun still peeked out from behind buildings.

Hinata sighed, and sank to her knees, then positioned herself against the wall, still able to see out the window. She drew her legs to her chest and hugged them, resting her chin on top of her knees. She didn't want to go home. If she did, she felt certain that her father would permanently ground her. Slowly, her eyes were sliding shut. Hinata fought the fatigue. She did need to go home. Even if it didn't really feel like home any more. In fact, this place felt more familiar, more secure, than her own room at the Hyuuga estate.

Almost defiantly, Hinata let her eyes fall shut. Once they were closed, Hinata found she couldn't open them again. Her eyelids were so heavy. She could just rest, for a minute or two. Then she'd get up and head back to the Hyuuga estate...

* * *

When she woke up, she felt stiff, still in the same position she had fallen asleep in. Hinata's lips parted and she made a small sound of discomfort, squeezing her eyes open. For some reason, she was not altogether surprised to see someone sitting on the small couch beside the window. She wasn't even surprised when his profile slid into focus.

He looked much the same as he had the last time she had seen him. His eyes were focused, staring out the window into the darkness, and his mouth was set in a grim slash that was neither a smile nor a frown. His black hair hung down around his face, obscuring half his cheek and his ear. He wasn't wearing his usual shinobi clothes. Sasuke wasn't even wearing a shirt, just a pair of pajama-looking bottoms that reached his ankles and nearly brushed the ground.

Slowly, Hinata shifted and sat up all the way. Even though she hadn't moved, she had ended up a little more slouched than usual. Carefully, she stretched out her legs, then placed one palm on the dusty floor and pushed herself to her feet. Still, Sasuke didn't move. Hinata moved forward until she was standing beside Sasuke, nearly touching the arm of the couch. "What...are you doing here?"

"This is my house." Sasuke spoke so flatly that his eyes didn't even flicker. He continued to look out the window, although Hinata didn't see the point. The night outside was as black as the Uchiha's eyes. She certainly couldn't see anything.

"But y-you...did you just come back because you were nostalgic?" Hinata hadn't the faintest idea why she sounded irritated. And instantly, she regretted her tone.

"Get out. I've tolerated you until now. But if you don't leave my house, and leave me alone, i'm going to kill you."

"No you won't." Hinata wished she could just be quiet. "You won't kill me. You can't kill me. Just like I couldn't kill you, even if I wanted to." As stupid as her words probably were, they had the desired effect. Sasuke looked at her, a small snarl on his lips.

"Like you could kill me at all. Have you ever killed _anyone _at all?"

Hinata flinched, but didn't let it get to her. "I don't need to kill people to know that i'm strong."

She thought maybe that would upset Sasuke, but he simply stared at her, then let out a puff of air, a snort that was almost one of laughter. "Maybe you don't."

There was a brief silence, and Hinata took it as a sign that Sasuke wasn't going to kill her after all. At least not right now. She paused, then moved around Sasuke's knees, and sat beside him on the couch, acutely aware of the space between them. At least two feet, but it seemed like no distance at all. "Why are you here?" This time, the question came from Sasuke.

Hinata didn't know her answer until it stumbled from her lips. "I wanted to see you."

Another silence.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Sasuke's dark eyes flickered to Hinata's light ones, a bit of a frown on his eyebrows. "All right." He looked away again, leaning back on the couch and draping his arms across his thighs.

Hinata looked away from Sasuke at the same time, out into the darkness. She was starting to see why he liked looking at nothing. There was something hypnotic about it. Almost meditative. She suddenly felt like she was intruding. To her horror, she saw a pair of red eyes in the darkness, and a cold smirk, petrifying laughter ringing in her ears. Hinata squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself not to hear Itachi's voice again.

It wasn't real. She knew that. She knew she was just scaring herself for no reason, but the pressure of her self induced fear was building up in her throat and behind her eyes. _Oh no..._ There was a wetness filling her vision, the tears welling up in her eyes. If she blinked, the tears would surely spill. But if she didn't, her eyes were going to get dry until overflow of tears made them fall onto her cheeks.

She blinked once, and the sensation was so relieving that she reflexively blinked several more times. The tears fell from both eyes at the same time, peeling down her cheeks. One dripped to her hand, and she curled her fingers into fists, biting her lower lip. The tears began to fall faster, and she could sense a dam inside her, one that had been holding back all the hurt and worry and fear that she normally would have cried about. Now, it felt like that dam was close to breaking. She suddenly wished she had gone home. If she was going to have a cryfest, she would rather do it far, far away from Sasuke Uchiha.

A small gasping hiccup trembled in her throat, and the tears began to fall faster. Hinata changed a quick gaze at Sasuke, and he looked at her a moment later. Quickly, Hinata looked out the window once again, another sob shaking her chest. She was acutely aware of the tears tracing a line down her cheek, then down her neck. The strange thought that she had never felt tears on her neck before presented itself in her mind, and that made her cry all the harder. Mortified, Hinata continued trying to stifle the flow of tears. _Not here, _She pleaded with herself. _Anywhere but here. _But now that it had started, she found she couldn't stop. And she felt so supremely alone, the tears were cold on her skin, uncomfortable and unfriendly. One of her hands was up near her chest, as if by force she could make the sobs cease. The other hand was still curled into a fist, now resting on the couch cushion beside her.

Hinata never saw Sasuke move. One moment, he was just sitting there. The next, his hand was gripping hers tightly. His hand was cold, calloused. But the gesture was surprisingly soft, gentle, even. Hinata gasped reflexively, looking down at their two hands to confirm what was going on. Sasuke's hand was paler even than hers, and his fingers were curled around her fist. Slowly, firmly, he was unclenching her fingers. She let him, the tears and half stifled sobs still coming in a steady pattern. Sasuke gently slid the tips his fingers down the length of her palm as if afraid to really touch her. Carefully, he threaded his fingers with hers, bending them around her hand in a gentle but strong touch. The entire time, he never took his eyes away from the window. Hinata choked back another sob, unable to believe the sincerity of the gesture.

"Stop pretending, Hinata." With those three words, Hinata felt all the crying burst from inside her. The sobs came steadily, tears pouring from her eyes. Somehow, she wasn't really sure how it happened, but it had. Sasuke had drawn her against him, still holding onto her hand, and his free arm was draped around her shoulders. He didn't say anything else, but his movements spoke louder than anything he could've spoken aloud. His hand was firm over hers, and occasionally, when her crying would get near uncontrollable, he would squeeze her fingers. The only problem was, every time he did this, Hinata would cry even harder. She couldn't cry around Naruto. So why was it so easy around Sasuke? Had she come to his house looking for a shoulder to sob on? Sasuke's skin was cool to the touch, but only because he wasn't wearing a shirt. She could feel his body heat, and it was comforting in a bizarre way. Hinata knew her tears were falling against his skin, but she didn't care. She just finally leaned her head against his chest and let herself cry freely.

Slowly, her sobs were subsiding. She had thought Sasuke would release her and run away or something once she was done crying. But he didn't. He just sat there, completely motionless, looking out the window, with her in his arms and against his chest. Hinata felt another wave of fatigue pressing against her consciousness. Warily, she shut her eyes. Once she did, she felt Sasuke's muscles relax. Had he been concerned? Of what, exactly?

She was vaguely aware of Sasuke saying something in an undertone, his inaudible words were the last thing she heard before she fell asleep.


	8. Point of View

**Author: I'm publishing this chapter way before it's finished, just because I feel guilty that it's been so freaking long since I updated. The next chapter will be coming very shortly, and will hopefully be much nicer than this one. Itachi will be showing up again next chapter, and...the only character that will almost certainly be OOC is Itachi. I like him better completely evil and sadistic. Plus it makes the story more interesting. I own nothing, though, and I disclaim anything you recognize.  
**

* * *

Sasuke had never had a difficult time sneaking into Konoha. He hadn't made a habit of it, in the past few years. Even if it was easy, it was dangerous. And besides, he had no reason to be there anymore. So when he found himself approaching the heart of the fire country, he wasn't entirely sure why. The Uchiha was in denial. Because he did miss the Leaf village, sort of. It had been his home for twelve years. He missed Naruto. Hell, he even missed Sakura.

Tonight, he didn't have a purpose. The last time he came to Konoha, he had been injured. Truthfully, he had gone to Sakura's home. He had watched her through the window, thinking he'd ask her to heal him. He had felt certain that she would. But he had also been certain that afterwards, she would never let him leave. As much as he missed stability, that wasn't a part of life he could afford to have.

So he hadn't gone to Sakura. Nor had he gone to Naruto, for the same reason. He hadn't expected to run into anyone, least of all Hinata Hyuuga. She had proved useful, at least. Even if in the end she had ended up trying to get him to stay in Konoha, just like Naruto and Sakura would have. Almost like she cared about him. Even as he thought it, Sasuke let the notion slide from his mind. She cared about Naruto. It didn't really matter to him, either way.

Now, as Sasuke neared his home, he could sense someone inside it. Once he recognized her chakra, he nearly turned away. But something kept him moving forward. And the moment he saw her, sleeping against the wall, he paused. Why was he not surprised?

He sank onto the couch, putting as much distance between himself and the Hyuuga. He had intended to get a nice, restful night's sleep. Or as restful as his nights got these days. His shirt felt constricting, twisting around his abdomen, and the night air was warm. With a sigh, he stepped past the still sleeping kunoichi and into his bedroom. He shed his clothes and pulled on the pants he used to sleep in. The pants were slightly stiff, they hadn't been used in so long, but still fit, somehow. Sasuke paused in the doorway, frowning at Hinata. She was sleeping so still. Was she even alive anymore? Sasuke's frown grew more pronounced. He hadn't attempted to use chakra around her at all, since the time his Sharingan had crossed her Byakugan. Or rather, since he had...kissed her. It had been an accident. He wasn't even sure why he had done it. The idea just...occurred to him. And he didn't see a reason not to. Sasuke reached out with one foot and nudged Hinata's leg. The Hyuuga made a small sound of irritation, shifting and slumping farther down the wall.

Good. She wasn't dead. Sasuke settled himself back onto the couch, staring out into the darkness. He was vaguely aware when the girl woke up and asked what he was doing here. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes and grunted his answer. "This is my house."

Then Hinata suggested he was only nostalgic. Sasuke felt a snarl touch his lips. After everything Konoha had done to him...how could he miss this place? He missed only the fact that he used to live here. But if the village burned to the ground? He wouldn't be happier if that happened. This place, the ANBU...Sasuke felt anger boiling in his chest. He spat out a reply. "Get out. I've tolerated you until now. But if you don't leave my house, and leave me alone, i'm going to kill you." And he meant it. He would have. But then he looked at Hinata, and the meaning in his words drained away.

"No you won't. You won't kill me. You can't kill me. Just like I couldn't kill you, even if I wanted to."

There was a reason Sasuke had never had a real crush on anyone. Girls were so emotional. And they were even more irritating when they were perceptive. Although, Hinata was far more intuitive to what he was thinking and feeling than any other kunoichi he'd met. Sakura was just...obsessed with him. She had never really stopped to consider what he was thinking. Sasuke snarled. If he wasn't careful, Hinata might get attached to him. Not that he cared. "Like you could kill me at all. Have you ever killed _anyone _at all?"

"I don't need to kill people to know that i'm strong."

Ugh. Since when was she so confident? Was this the same girl who had chased after Naruto, stuttering and stammering in the corner? Sasuke turned to stare at the Hyuuga. Had she managed to change herself? Or did she only act this way around him? The thought nearly made him laugh. Fine, then. "Maybe you don't." He let the conversation die out. He turned his gaze back out to the window, wondering if it was going to rain. He thought he had heard thunder, on the way into town. Hinata moved and sat beside him. To Sasuke, the distance was hardly far enough. It felt like they were nearly touching. And the space that separated them felt like it was filled with fire. His entire right side was burning. He was seized, once again, with the urge to lean over and kiss the girl. The moment the thought presented itself, Sasuke spoke. "Why are you here?"

Her answer threw him off guard enough that the ridiculous notion of kissing vanished from his mind. "I wanted to see you."

What? "Why?"

"I don't know." For Sasuke, time seemed to freeze. She wanted to see him? Him, of all people? Sasuke wondered suddenly where she had been before this. He looked at the Hyuuga and instantly regretted it. The moment he saw her eyes, he wanted to spill everything he was feeling. He wanted her to know everything about him, he wanted her to care.

"All right." Sasuke thought, with relief, that maybe they were done. Hinata had taken up staring out into nothingness, just as he had, and they didn't speak again. Slowly, Sasuke began to relax. He would be leaving soon, and then he'd be able to rid himself of the kunoichi. She was making him uncomfortable, her very existance was making his skin stir in unfamiliar ways and...oh...no. Did she just hiccup? Sasuke reluctantly looked in Hinata's direction, and sighed silently. She was crying. Was it something he had said? Sasuke's mind whirled unwillingly over the brief conversation they had just had. He didn't think he had said anything horribly offensive. And he shouldn't be caring, anyway. No, Hinata shouldn't be crying here. This was ridiculous.

But he wasn't really thinking clearly anymore. He had zero experience comforting people, especially women. Sakura was the only girl he'd ever had prolonged contact with. And all she did was cry. He thought he'd be used to it by now. Maybe this time was different simply because Hinata was trying so desperately _not _to cry. He could practically see the strain it was taking her to keep the tears back. And she probably had good reason to cry. Sasuke let some bizarre instinct take over.

He reached out and grasped her hand, small and delicate, in his. Sasuke heard her gasp, but ignored it, and worked at uncurling the fist Hinata had created. It only took him a moment. Once that was done, he hesitated, then slid his hand gingerly down hers. The contact sent a rush up his arm. He stopped hesitating, and wove his fingers with the Hyuuga's, squeezing her hand once it was securely in his grasp. The Hyuuga repressed another sob. Sasuke sighed. "Stop pretending, Hinata." He knew she was crying. And he was officially in this, officially here to help her and comfort her. He didn't like it, but it was the truth. Strangely, he felt relieved when she did start crying for real. He couldn't explain how he knew what to do, he just pulled her against his chest and fastened one arm around her, never relinquishing his grip on her hand.

Sasuke wouldn't even admit it to himself, but he liked the fact that she trusted him enough to do this. Sasuke grew completely still. She did trust him. She probably even liked him, in a way. And he would be leaving. Again. He didn't want to do to Hinata what he had to Sakura. She had been so hurt, and he had loved her like a sister. As for Hinata...Sasuke looked down at her, watching as she fell asleep. He didn't want to stay away from her. There was no point. She could help him kill Itachi. Sasuke felt a smirk on his face. What if...he trained her? She was all but immune to his sharingan. If he trained her to defeat Itachi, then maybe he could pull this off. Sasuke felt a pang of guilt for using her that way. "I'm sorry, Hinata." He murmured as she drifted off to sleep. A few moments passed, and he thought he heard rain pelting the window lightly. Glancing up, he wasn't altogether surprised to see smears of wetness on the glass. It was the rainy season, in Konoha, Sasuke realized. But the rain was still falling very slowly, and the rythm was soothing. Hinata was very still, once again. Sasuke slid his arm away from her, lowering her carefully onto the couch so she wouldn't wake up. It took several minutes for him to completely break all contact, at which point he stood.

Hinata shifted, bringing her legs up to her stomach and wrapping her arms around her shoulders. She looked insecure even when she was unconscious. Sasuke straightened, arms loose at his sides, and watched the heiress. There were dried tear streaks down her cheeks, running through a small smudge of dirt just above her chin. Making up his mind, Sasuke turned and walked back into his room. It was just as he had left it, that night when he had come back to Konoha injured. His broken Team 7 picture still lay in pieces on the ground. Without thinking, Sasuke swept the shattered glass to the wall with his foot, leaning and plucking the photo from the ground with two fingers. For a brief moment, he lingered on memories of being with his...friends. With a sigh, Sasuke sank onto his bed, lying flat on the mattress. He knew he should just get out of here. He could kill Itachi on his own. He knew that. But he also knew that with Itachi's death would come his own death. And he wasn't ready to die.

But no one could know he was here. Hinata would, obviously. But no one else. Sasuke wasn't entirely sure, but he was partly certain that he was in the Bingo books now, and that the official policy would be to take him into custody the moment anyone saw him. Hinata wouldn't betray him or turn him in, he knew that. Sakura and Naruto probably wouldn't either, but he didn't think they could keep their excitement to themselves. Sasuke tossed the photo back onto the ground, resting his hands behind his head and letting himself fall into a light sleep.

* * *

Morning came what seemed like moments later, and Sasuke opened his eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. It took him a moment to realize that the environment wasn't entirely alien. He had slept in this room before. For six years, he had slept in this room. He was in Konoha. How'd he wind up here? He didn't have a reason, really. But he knew why he was _still _here. Hinata. He wanted her help. Slowly, the youngest Uchiha sat up. His back felt strangely stiff, it had been a while since he slept in a real bed overnight. For a moment, he wondered if she was still here. She had probably woken up and realized that she was here, and ran off. He wouldn't be surprised. Hell, he'd even admire her for it.

Walking back into the living room, Sasuke felt a bizarre mixture of relief and disappointment. The Hyuuga was where he had left here, still asleep and still in the exact same position. The Uchiha hesitated for a moment, wondering once again if he should just leave her and Konoha behind for good, and finish off Itachi while he had the chance. Just as the thought occurred, Hinata's eyelids flickered and she sat up, staring up at Sasuke. "A-are you leaving?" She shifted, pushing herself upright and onto her feet, looking at Sasuke over the couch.

He had one more spark of indecision, then gave up. "No. I want you to come with me again, Hinata. I want you to help me kill Itachi." He wouldn't say that he needed her, and tried to make his voice sound very non-caring. As if either way, he wouldn't care what she chose.

The Hyuuga shifted, bringing one hand to her chest and dropping her gaze, refusing to meet Sasuke's eyes. "I...uhm..." Sasuke felt a trickle of surprise at the way her shoulders began trembling. Her fingers curled into fists, like she didn't want him to see their shaking. She was afraid? Of what, exactly? She _should _be afraid of him. He could kill her any moment he wanted to. Or, more likely, she was afraid of Itachi. That would almost be a smarter fear.

"I'll train you. You can make yourself immune to the Sharingan, the more you practice with it. You're already mostly immune to mine." He wanted to add, 'Don't be afraid', but the words seemed far too friendly. He didn't want her thinking he actually cared about her.

"I-it's not that..." Hinata stammered over her voice, and Sasuke watched a bit of pink enter her cheeks. She blushed as much as Sakura cried. "I...I d-don't want t-to leave N-Naruto-kun..."

Naruto? Sasuke hadn't been expecting that. What was so special about Naruto? She had been all too willing to leave him behind last time...What had changed? "He can survive without you, he barely notices you." He hadn't meant for the words to sound harsh, but they still brought a blush into Hinata's cheeks, turning her face red.

"W-well...we're k-kind of...d-dating..." She stumbled so badly over the last word that it was nearly inaudible. Sasuke felt his eyebrows shoot up his forehead, the unwilling display of surprise bringing on an unexpected irritation that he couldn't make sense of.

"Fine then. Stay here." The irritation grew. His voice sounded almost...disappointed. Sasuke picked up his katana and tucked it into his belt, turning away in one last attempt at nonchalance. He knew he didn't do a very good job.

"W-wait! Sasuke-kun..!" The Uchiha sensed Hinata standing, rushing around to place herself between him and the window. Sasuke gritted his teeth, glaring down at the girl.

"Get out of the way, Hinata."

"B-But I...I d-don't want you t-to leave-!"

What? Sasuke ground his teeth together, fighting the irrational urge to shake Hinata until she came to her senses. She wanted him to stay here? Why? What could _he _possibly offer _her_? "What are you _talking _about?" He growled, moving half a step closer and activating his Sharingan out of reflex.

The moment he felt the chakra surrounding his eyes, turning them red, Hinata's entire body froze. "What's wrong _now_?" Hinata tore her gaze away, squeezing her eyes shut. "Look at me, Hinata." Bizarre emotions swirled around Sasuke's mind, something like hurt and worry mingled with puzzlement. None of which he could explain rationally. Reaching out, Sasuke took hold of Hinata's shoulders, pushing her back against the wall. She was shivering now, still refusing to look at him. So much for her being immune to the Sharingan...

"Hinata." Sasuke felt mingled disgust and satisfaction at the gentle tone of his voice. "I'm not going to hurt you with these eyes. Calm down."

Slowly, Hinata's trembling subsided. Sasuke leaned a little closer, trying to establish eye contact. Finally, Hinata's lavender eyes slid open, but she didn't seem to be able to look up. Without thinking about it, Sasuke took Hinata's chin and tilted her face up so she would have to stare into the Sharingan. "Why are you suddenly afraid?"

"I..." Hinata's voice was scarcely a whisper. "It's...like Itachi's eyes...and when I see them...I r-remember the Ts-Tsukiyomi..." Hinata lowered her arms, which had been raised defensively in front of her. She seemed to be slightly more comfortable now, although her entire body was rigid with fear. "And when I'm w-with Naruto...s-sometimes his eyes...when the K-Kyuubi is coming out...I d-don't want to be afraid of N-Naruto-kun." Hinata swallowed, apparently steeling herself to say something. "I want you to help me get over my fear of the Sharingan, which is why I don't mind you training me. I'll help you kill Itachi, b-but...I'm not leaving Naruto-kun."

Sasuke stared at her during the entire speech, shocked that she was able to get through the end so easily. It seemed like when she really wanted something, she was able to articulate much easier. "I can't stay in Konoha. It would be purely moronic to place myself this close to people desperate to bring me into custody."

"Wh-what if...I meet you somewhere outside the village? A few t-times a week? I c-could manage th-that, I think..."

Sasuke frowned slightly, releasing Hinata's arms and taking a step back. "A mile North of the village gates, I'll meet you there tomorrow night." He glanced over his shoulder, shifting his weight evenly onto both legs in preparation to leap from the window.

"B-But...What if...Itachi finds us before we're ready?"

"Then I'll fight him, and you'll run." Sasuke took a moment, looking at the way Hinata's hair fell into her face as she looked down. It had gotten much longer. Didn't it used to be short? Seized with the sudden urge to reach out and stroke her hair, Sasuke scowled and turned away forcefully. "Don't forget. If you don't show up, I'm not waiting for you."

Then he leaped out the window, trying to keep thoughts of the Hyuuga from his head.

* * *


	9. Fear

**Author: Okay, okay, I'm back. I've just been insanely busy and I got carried away working on another writing project. But I'm ready to pay attention to Sasuke and Hinata now. I promise. And don't be mad about Naruto being around. This is technically a triangle story, okay? Okay. Good.  
**

* * *

Hinata blinked as Sasuke vanished. It had happened so abruptly; one moment he was there, and a second later he was gone. Would she ever be able to move as quickly as an Uchiha? It seemed impossible. And would she be able to help kill Itachi? Or rather...help kill him and survive it? Hinata sighed, pushing herself to her feet. It was just starting to get light outside, and with a shudder, Hinata realized she hadn't gone home at all last night. Her father was going to kill her. Turning away from the window, Hinata bolted from Sasuke's apartment, hoping no one would see her.

The street directly outside was empty, but as Hinata pelted towards her home, people began to file out onto the street. A few of them glanced at her as she darted past, but they must have been used to ninjas running through Konoha, for most of them didn't spare her a second look. Hinata straightened her clothes as she went, trying to flatten her hair back into place and make it look like she hadn't spent all night out. Hopefully, she wouldn't run into her father or her cousin.

The courtyard was deserted, as was the outside hallway. Hinata darted over to her window and flung it open, tumbling inside. When she straightened, panting, she nearly gasped out loud. Someone was already in her bed, someone with hair very similar to hers. "H-Hanabi?" Hinata whispered, reaching out to pull the blanket down from the figure's form.

Her sister rolled over, smiling and yawning. "Hey nii-chan." Sitting up, Hanabi drew her knees to her chest. "I told Tousan I was sleeping over at my friend's house, and then I posed as you." Throwing the blanket all the way off her legs, Hanabi stood. "You're welcome, and you owe me." With that, Hanabi pranced from the room, humming to herself. Hinata watched her go with a dumbfounded expression on her face, then let a long sigh fall from her chest. She didn't have anything to do today, and although she had gotten some sleep the night before, her limbs were extremely stiff. A long shower...and then...she'd go visit Naruto. Maybe. The memory of his eyes when influenced by the Kyuubi were still burned into her mind. Hinata hadn't brought spare clothes, but the bathroom was right across the hall from her own room, and there were plenty of towels in there.

Scurrying into the bathroom, Hinata turned and locked the door behind her, relieved that she hadn't seen anyone. Hanabi was amazing. Just when she thought her sister hated her for sure, she goes and does something like this. Unless there was something in it for the younger Hyuuga that Hinata hadn't understood. She couldn't imagine what, unless she was just enjoying the idea of having something to hold over Hinata's head.

Hinata paused, examining her reflection in the mirror before undressing. She didn't even seem like herself anymore. Sure, it was the same face she had known for sixteen years, but...she looked like someone else. Someone different, unfamiliar, and strange. Frustrated and puzzled at the realization, Hinata turned away, stripping off her clothes and leaving them in a pile on the tiled floor. She turned on the shower, then blanched away from the warm water. It felt uncomfortable on her skin. Balancing on one foot, she reached out with her other leg and tapped the hot water faucet downward, so only cool water rushed from the showerhead.

With a sigh of contentment, Hinata stepped into the jet of water, wrapping her arms around herself. Sasuke had surprised her last night. Not the showing up at his own house part. Somehow, part of her had known that was going to happen. But he had been remarkably...caring. Almost sensitive. Hinata let out a tiny giggle, and instantly clapped her hand over her mouth to stifle the sound, grinning behind her palm. Sasuke? Care about her? He had almost sounded...gentle, at times. She couldn't recall ever seeing him be gentle or caring before. True, she hadn't had a lot of contact with him before he left Konoha, but from what she _had _seen...Hinata shook her head.

She was being ridiculous. He wouldn't wait for her, if she didn't show up. He didn't really have any personal feelings for her. She was probably just a tool to him, someone who could help kill Itachi. Honestly, Hinata didn't see how she was going to help. Just the thought of Sasuke's older brother sent a cold chill up her spine. How in the world was she going to fight him? She had never even managed to scratch his cloak. As her frustration with Sasuke grew, Hinata felt another emotion rising to the surface.

What if Sasuke wanted her to fail? A distraction for Itachi, then he'd swoop in and kill his brother all by himself. That was probably it. Hinata curled her fingers into fists, once again using her foot to turn off the shower. Hinata paused, frowning. Her thoughts had been interrupted by a small draft. It didn't seem related to the lack of water, since she had been using cold water anyway. The bathroom didn't have windows, and the door was firmly shut. Sudden paranoia made gooseflesh spread up her arms, and Hinata grabbed for the towel hanging on the wall, wrapping it around her. Quickly, she moved to the bathroom door, twisted the handle, and pulled.

Nothing happened. The door jammed in it's frame. Frustrated, Hinata pulled harder, bracing herself on the wall next to the door. "H-Hanabi? The door's stuck!" She squeaked the words out, knowing no one would be able to hear her if she spoke that quietly. "Come on!" Even though there's no way it would help, Hinata smacked the door with her open palm-just hard enough for it to hurt. The feeling that someone was watching her built up in her chest, and the fear took over, bringing her to a point of near panic. Hinata beat on the door with her fist, kicking at the wood's base while at the same time yanking on the doorknob. Just when she was about to shout for help, she felt someone's arm encircle her waist.

At the same time, a hand went over her mouth, effectively stifling the scream that erupted from her throat. The arm tightened around her abdomen, and Hinata felt the strain on her ribs, enough pressure that the scream was cut off short, and her breathing became suddenly restricted. "I told you I'd be in touch." Cold breath blossomed against her cheek and ear, and Hinata froze, feeling a deep shiver start in her chest and spread down her spine. "Are you going to be quiet?" Hinata dipped her chin down sharply, then back up again, feeling the hand on her face tighten at the movement. "Good." The hand vanished, and Hinata squeezed her eyes shut just as someone spun her around.

There was a brief pause, and Hinata could feel her heart pounding away erratically in her chest. "You're going to help me with something." She could feel his breath on her face again. How could it be that cold? And judging by how well she could hear his whisper, he was incredibly close to her. The paralysis was even worse than the first time it had happened, the first time she had met the older Uchiha. Part of it, she was sure, had to do with the fact that she was wearing nothing more than a towel. "Look at me." It wasn't so much a request as an order, that much was clear even without the menace in Itachi's voice. She was afraid to be caught in another Tsukiyomi, but even more afraid to disobey now.

Carefully, Hinata opened her eyes, keeping them downcast. The first thing she saw was his waist, swathed in the dark Akatsuki cloak. Was this a clone? Sasuke said only clones follow her at this point, while the real Itachi and Kisame would follow Naruto. Slowly, Hinata forced herself to look up to Itachi's neck. The moment she saw his chin; part of his face, she froze. Any farther, and she would be able to see his eyes. He could torture her...make her wish she was dead. Shaking, Hinata clamped her eyes shut again. A rough hand grasped her chin, shoving her back against the bathroom wall, and jerked her face upward. "Look at me." He ordered again, and Hinata felt her eyes flutter open without thinking, finding herself staring up into his eyes.

His sharingan wasn't activated, the first stroke of luck she'd had in a while. "You know the Hokage's office?" His voice was suddenly completely business, velvet and compelling.  
Hinata nodded jerkily as much as she could with his hand clamped onto her chin. "She keeps the blueprints of the village in a locked cabinet, just inside of the room, beside the door. Get them for me, and hide them until I find you again."

Hinata felt the cold hand of dread tightening around her heart. She couldn't do this! She couldn't betray Konoha...Naruto would never consent to this. "I'll kill him. If you don't have it done by the next time I see you, the kyuubi kid will die. I can hold off on sealing the nine tails, but if you fail us, there will be no reason for the leader to spare him. Do you understand?"

Hinata nodded again, and felt the grip on her chin relax. But instead of moving away, Itachi's hand trailed down her neck, fingers pausing at the towel where it was wrapped around her torso. Hinata grasped his wrist frantically, pushing his arm away from her. Itachi quirked one eyebrow, then glanced towards the doorway. "You have one week." There was a small poof, and he vanished. So it _had _been a clone, then.

Someone knocked on the bathroom door, and Hinata jumped. "Hinata? You all right in there?"

"Y-Yes, Hanabi. I'm okay. I'll be right out."

"Okay. Well hurry up."

Hinata gathered her clothes into her arms, then tried the door again. It slid open without any problems. Hinata ducked her head, hiding her face from her sister as she rushed to her room. Stealing blueprints to the village was bad enough. Giving them over to a criminal organization? Hinata shuddered. She couldn't do this. No way. Dressing quickly, Hinata went out into the hallway. She wanted to see Naruto. To make sure everything was okay with the two of them.

"Hinata. You haven't trained with Neji in weeks." The disapproving voice behind her made her flinch, and she turned around to face her father, eyes downcast.

"I know...I-I've just..."

"You don't think it's important anymore? I expect you to stop neglecting your training. Is there anything unclear about this?" Hiashi sounded almost...angry. Hinata nodded mutely, wondering how many promises she was going to make this week. "Good." Hiashi brushed past Hinata, and she shivered slightly, turning in the opposite direction and taking off at a run.

* * *

"Naruto-kun?" Hinata knocked again, a little louder this time. His apartment door opened, and Naruto grinned, seeing Hinata standing there.

"Hey! I'm glad you're here." He stepped aside, allowing Hinata to walk through the doorway. Despite everything that had happened, his words still sent a pleasant shiver up her body. He was glad to see her. "I was kind of worried, you know...after last time."

Hinata sat on the couch, drawing her knees to her chest as Naruto sat on the sofa opposite her. "It's okay, Naruto-kun. I wasn't afraid of you." It was true. She wasn't afraid at all, right now. Except for the constant threat of Itachi, she felt completely safe with him.

"I would never hurt you, Hinata. I...if I ever get out of control, just..." He was fidgeting, his movements making the entire couch shift and sway. Hinata blinked at him, surprised. "If I ever don't recognize you, run away."

Hinata stared. Run? Run from Naruto? "I'd never r-run from you, Naruto-kun." She meant for the words to sound strong and confident, but they came out as a whisper. "I...I t-trust you. Even if...even if you d-did hurt me, on accident...I would still trust you." Part of her had the suspicion that he might hurt her someday. She was just as certain that it would be unintentional, but it was a risk she was more than willing to take.

Naruto blinked, looking at Hinata as if he was just seeing her for the first time. Then a grin sprang into place beneath his eyes. "Yeah?" He scooted a little closer to Hinata, reaching out and pulling one of her hands away from her knees, where she held them in anxiously closed fists. Hinata lifted her gaze to Naruto's, almost timing the cue of the inevitable blush on her face. Naruto laughed, pulling Hinata forward into a tight embrace. She let out a long sigh of contentment, wrapping her arms lightly around his waist. "I'm glad you trust me, Hinata."  
He murmured into her ear, breath warm. Hinata pressed her face into Naruto's shoulder, inhaling his scent. What would he think of her if he knew the truth?

Could _he _trust her? He'd never believe what she had done...what she was doing. Guilt welled up more powerfully than it had before, and Hinata grasped at Naruto's shirt, pulling herself closer to him. A strange conflict of shame and delight rose in her chest, constricting her throat. She was with him. Naruto. Her Naruto. Hinata tightened her embrace slightly, and the blond boy let out a small laugh, resting his head against hers.

The Hyuuga squeezed her eyes shut, wondering if this could possibly be real. Would Itachi make good on his threat to hurt Naruto? Certainly he couldn't hold off the Akatsuki forever. Eventually, they would come after Naruto, no matter how many blueprints she stole. There was no point in betraying Konoha. Naruto would never do something like that. _What if he had to do it to save your life? Would he still choose Konoha over you? _The tiny, unsure voice in Hinata's head made her frown. Naruto would find a way. He wouldn't choose one or the other.

And she _couldn't _choose one or the other. Which meant she'd simply have to find a way herself. Maybe she could forge some false plans...and then inform Tsunade about what was going to happen. She could set up an ambush....

_Or, _the voice chimed in again. _You could work with Sasuke; and help him kill Itachi yourself. Konoha barely believes that you've seen him at all- _"Hey, Hinata? Are you okay?" Naruto's voice cut in, and Hinata jumped slightly. He hadn't released her, nor did he seem uncomfortable. But he had pulled his head back, and she could feel his stare burning against her face.

"Y-yes. I'm fine." Hinata felt a small smile on her face, watching her expression mirror itself on Naruto's. He was so close to her, and she could see a very tiny, almost invisible, splatter of sun freckles on his skin beneath the marks on his cheeks. She had never noticed that before. "I..." Her voice failed, and she felt her blush grow warmer as if someone were turning up a dial. Naruto, ever patient with her, tilted his head, the grin never faltering. "Uhm...I..." The words died once again, and she decided she really didn't need to ask. She had kissed him once before without any warning. And that had been in a much less appropriate situation.

Leaning up, Hinata touched her lips lightly to the blond's, sliding her hands away from his back to wrap her arms around his neck. His response was immediate; Naruto pulled her flush against his chest, kissing back with such enthusiasm that Hinata wondered why he hadn't just kissed her in the first place. She tilted her head slightly, memories of the last time they had kissed this way flooding her mind. But there was no change in chakra. Naruto was in perfect control. And the warmth coursing through her made Hinata wonder if she could kiss him forever.

Naruto moved away from her lips, kissing at the corner of her mouth then along her cheek. Hinata fastened her arms around his neck as their cheeks brushed together, Naruto nuzzling her very lightly. Then she felt his teeth touch the arc of her ear, nibbling lightly at her skin. A pleasant shiver ran down her body, from her ear to her toes, then tingled back up again. The warmth flowing through her concentrated in brand new places, private places. Curiously, her blush slid away.

A tiny, strange sound appeared in her throat, bursting out from between parted lips. Naruto chuckled, pressing his face against Hinata's neck. Realizing she had moaned, Hinata shrank back slightly, face flushed with embarrassment. Naruto wrapped his arms more securely around her, humming lightly in her ear. The sound was reassuring, but she could definitely hear the amusement in his voice.

Naruto nipped at her earlobe again, and Hinata turned her head, kissing his cheek and jaw. She felt so wonderfully warm...

* * *

"Hinata? Hello~?" Naruto prodded her ribs, leaning in so his face was right next to her. "It's almost nine o'clock, you know."

"I-it is?" Hinata was reluctant to move to look at the clock. She was perfectly comfortable in Naruto's arms. Slowly, a thought presented itself. 9 o'clock was certainly night time...

"Yeah, it is. Actually...it's 9:15..." Naruto let out a half nervous chuckle, withdrawing his arm from Hinata's shoulders.

Hinata blinked, pushing herself to her feet. For the first time, she thought of what her father would say if he knew about her and Naruto. It wouldn't take a genius to think he might not approve. But just how much, exactly? Enough to tell her that she couldn't see him anymore? She would never adhere to such a rule, but if there was one thing she didn't need right now, it was more complications. Things would probably be best if no one knew..."I should probably get home then."

"M'kay. Will I see you tomorrow?" Naruto stood with her, taking both of her hands in his own. She smiled at him, going over the days in her head.

"Y-yes. I don't see why not." Hinata smiled, wishing suddenly that she didn't have to go home...ever. She could spend all her time with Naruto and never be done with him or run out of things to talk about.

"Heh." Naruto leaned in, kissing her lips lightly. Hinata moved forward, throwing her arms around his neck. A small laugh hummed in the blond's throat, but he held Hinata close, allowing the kiss to deepen. After a few minutes, she broke away, panting slightly.

"O-okay. See you tomorrow, Naruto-kun." She spoke a little breathlessly, face flushed from the kiss. Naruto blinked, then grinned as she turned and darted away. Hinata slowed to a walk once she was out of sight of Naruto's house. It was dark outside. Enough that she had to take a second to let her eyes adjust to the lighting. It was eerily quiet, although there were still a few people wandering around town. If it weren't for their presence, she might have been anxious enough to just run home. Itachi had gotten inside her /bathroom/. Her home. Being within the Konoha walls was one thing, but to get into her very house undetected was staggering.

It had been just a clone, true...So maybe he had found a way to create the clone inside her bathroom? Or used some kind of space/time jutsu. Hinata shivered. She could probably ask Tsunade to increase security or something...but she wasn't sure how much the people in Konoha believed her anymore. They thought she was crying wolf. Pausing, Hinata sighed. It astonished her how quickly she could get involved with those thoughts. They troubled her even more than she was aware of.

How late was Sasuke going to wait for her? She hadn't brought any of her weapons with her or anything...But...the thought of seeing Sasuke made her feel safe. Safer than being at home or even being with Naruto. And it was only the first day of training...this probably wasn't going to work out at all. She might as well go, and hope for the best. If nothing else, she was sure Sasuke carried shuriken and such things with him. Hinata turned towards the village gates, and saw the ANBU positioned every few feet or so. There were also chakra barriers that alerted them to any non-Leaf resident who crossed Konoha's borders.

Hinata frowned. She hadn't thought _leaving _the village was going to be a problem. "Don't scream." Despite the words and the familiar voice, Hinata jumped, and a tiny cry of surprise bubbled from her throat. She felt a hand on her arm pull her out of the light cast by the streetlamps, and once the shadow of the ninja store had completely enclosed her, Hinata turned around. Sasuke was dressed as he always was, although he wore a dark cloak, the hood of which was pulled over his head.

"H-How did you get into the village?" Before the question was fully formed, Sasuke clamped one hand over her mouth. Slightly frustrated, Hinata waited as patiently as she could manage. There was something in the tilt of the Uchiha's eyes that suggested he was enjoying making her wait for an answer.

"I am still technically a Konoha citizen, you know. As long as no one actually sees me, I'm fine." He replied finally, voice incredibly quiet. Hinata had to strain her ears trying to hear him. "We need somewhere to practice." His eyebrows drew close together as he pulled his hand away from her face. Glancing over his shoulder, Hinata could see his frown deepen.

"Uhm..." Her voice was naturally quiet, but she worked to keep it even softer, not wanting to be hushed again. "The training field isn't monitored, but-" Sasuke turned and started walking immediately in the direction she had indicated. Feeling a small rush of fear, Hinata rushed after him. "S-Sasuke-kun!" He ignored her, although the Uchiha wasn't walking so quickly that she had a difficult time catching up to him. "What are we going to be doing, exactly?" Again, receiving no answer, Hinata was forced to sigh and walk in silence, trying not to push her luck.

Upon reaching the training field, Sasuke pulled out a kunai and tossed it in Hinata's direction. She reached out to catch the handle, but her fingers slipped in the darkness and she dropped the weapon, the metal smacking against the top of her foot. Blushing, she swept it from the ground quickly, hoping Sasuke wouldn't comment on it. He didn't. Instead, he pulled off his cloak and dropped it onto the ground, then turned halfway around and flung two shuriken directly at her. If she hadn't been watching him, they would have hit. Instead, she swept the kunai in a series of two sharp slashes. Two metallic clangs echoed in the empty field, and the shuriken flopped to the ground. "Y-you could have warned me!"

"Itachi isn't going to warn you."

She knew this, of course, but it still upset her slightly. And part of her appreciated that he wasn't going to go easy on her. Turning all the way to face her, Sasuke touched each of his inside wrists. There was a slight poof of smoke, and suddenly he was holding shuriken again. Hinata braced herself, and started to activate her Byakugan.

"Wait."

Hinata frowned, looking up at Sasuke, handseal halfway formed.

"Maybe...you don't need to do that yet. You're afraid of the Sharingan, so I'm really the one who should be activating their bloodline limit. And besides, it's likely by the time you and Itachi are fighting hand-to-hand, you won't have enough chakra to waste on the Byakugan." The tone of his voice reminded Hinata of the last time their bloodline limits had crossed, and she blushed deeply, glad it was dark. Was he just trying to avoid a repeat of last time? "It's probably a better idea for you to fight him first. Get his guard down. If you can distract him for even a moment, that's all I need." Sasuke lowered his arms suddenly, a strange expression on his face. Almost like guilt. As quickly as it had appeared, it was gone. "If he activates his Sharingan, just don't look at it. That much should be obvious even if you _weren't _afraid of it." The Uchiha moved towards her, shaking his head slightly and swatting the kunai from her hand.

"That isn't going to do much. Shuriken won't be a whole lot of help either." He paused, deliberating, then reached behind him into his belt and pulled out the katana he had strapped to his back. Hinata stared, watching the glint of the moon on the silver blade.

"I-I can't use that!"

"Have you ever tried? This will give you a longer reach. The farther away you are from him, the less likely you'll be to get hurt. Plus, he won't be expecting it. Especially if you can keep it hidden until the last moment." Sasuke turned the weapon around, proffering the handle. Hinata hesitated, then reached for the blade, trying it's weight awkwardly in her hand. "Both hands. If you're blocking him or attacking." Sasuke grabbed Hinata's wrist and showed her how to hold the sword properly, then stepped away. The katana wasn't heavy, but Hinata wasn't used to it. She thought she was doing pretty well, until she heard an odd sound above her headline. She looked up quickly in time to see Sasuke smirking at her. "You just look so awkward..." A low chuckle rumbled from his throat, and Hinata was a little too surprised to be embarrassed.

"All right. Come at me." Sasuke took a few steps back, picking up the kunai he had taken from her. With a slight spike in chakra, the red blossomed in his eyes. Hinata froze, staring into the glowing irises. "Dead." Sasuke's voice was harsh enough that Hinata flinched. "Don't look at my eyes-" He paused again, staring at Hinata with a flicker of enthusiasm, chased quickly from his face by guilt once again.

"What are you-?"

"No. Nevermind. Don't look at my eyes, Hinata. You can see where I'm going to move by looking at my chest, stomach, or my neck. Any of those are good enough."

"B-But..."

"What?"

Hinata looked down, lowering the katana in one hand until the tip touched the ground. "I don't want to be afraid of the Sharingan anymore."

There was a long, uncomfortable pause, during which Hinata was torn between wanting to look up and wanting to keep looking down. She kept her eyes on the slightly curved blade of the katana.

"Why not?" He didn't sound anywhere near as upset as she expected. Curious, Hinata looked up. The mask of impassiveness was back on his face, but at least he _sounded _human.

"I...N-Naruto-kun's eyes t-turn red sometimes...wh-when we're...or he..." Hinata fidgeted, bringing her arms closer to her body and dragging the katana's blade through the grass.

"What, has he been going Kyuubi a lot lately?" There was almost a sneer in Sasuke's voice. His hostility shocked her, and she looked up. "Can't control himself after all. I didn't think so. Has he hurt anyone else?"

"W-What? N-no!"

"Tch. You really shouldn't care about him so much, Hinata. He doesn't know how to care about people properly. Not to mention he's a complete dobe most of the time."

Hinata felt her entire face burning pink, enough that she was sure the darkness wouldn't disguise it. "Y-you wouldn't know about th-that either, would you?!" Her words rang out between them, bridging the silence that filled the few feet separating them. Hinata regretted the words the moment they had flown from her mouth. Sasuke stared at her, all emotion completely gone from his eyes and face, the Sharingan still boring into her. He moved forward abruptly, moving towards Hinata in such a way that she felt certain he would take his katana, leave, and she would never see him again. She shut her eyes tightly, waiting for the horrible moments to pass.

"Hinata." His tone didn't sound any different, but she was compelled to look up at him anyway. Sasuke gripped her upper arm tightly, a sense of urgency in his eyes. His hold on her wasn't exactly painful, but it was uncomfortable enough to make her nervous. "I don't want you to see him. He hurt Sakura, a little while ago. He had no control over it. And if you two are close enough when he loses control, something horrible could happen."

"I'm not leaving him because of the Kyuubi. It's not his fault." Her voice came out in a whisper, and Sasuke gave a small growl of frustration, shaking the Hyuuga slightly.

"Listen to me, dammit! There's more going on right now! Itachi is going to capture Naruto if he gets half a chance. If he realizes you're close to him, Itachi's going to use Naruto against you!" Hinata didn't mention this had already happened, but Sasuke seemed to guess. "...What did he ask you to do?"

"S-steal blueprints from the Hokage's mansion."

Sasuke grabbed Hinata's other arm, his grip tightening to a near painful level. "He already has those. It's a test. If you bring him the wrong ones, he'll break any deal you've made with him. Hinata, it's going to escalate horribly after this. As soon as it's obvious you won't do whatever he's asking, he'll turn it around and use you as bait to make Naruto come after you. You have to end it."

Hinata stared up at the Uchiha, each word like a slap in the face. Her throat closed up, and she felt a slight tremble moving through her body. Sasuke seemed to feel it, for he released her.

"...If we hurry, it may not come to that. We might be able to kill Itachi before any of this becomes a problem. When do you need to give him the blueprints?"

"A week." It didn't take a genius to figure out that wasn't enough time, but Sasuke didn't seem off-put.

"All right. We'll have to meet every night then." Sasuke motioned to the katana, and started to turn around again.

"S-Sasuke...why...why me? Why am I the one you're training? Why do you...why...me?"

The Uchiha paused, a long sigh making his shoulders slope down. "I'm not sure yet." He said quietly. "And I'm afraid of the answer." There was another silence, different from the others. Sasuke seemed torn, as if there was much more he wanted to say, but either couldn't find the words or didn't want her to have the information. Whatever the dilemma, it seemed to have affected him more than she had ever seen. Hinata reached out instinctively, touching Sasuke's shoulder gently. He moved away from the contact quickly, mask back on and his shield back up. Hinata frowned, wondering if he was ever going to be the man he was supposed to be. "Let's continue." Sasuke beckoned to Hinata, sinking into a half crouch.

She looked at him, feeling a strange sense of being bound to the Uchiha. Even if he had left tonight...she would have had to go after him. He couldn't be alone again, she wouldn't let him. Determined, Hinata tried to adopt the same sense of focus that Sasuke seemed to emanate, then leaped toward him, katana held awkwardly to one side.


	10. Transitions

**Author: I'm going to put notes at the end of the chapters from now on. I like to comment on things without spoiling them.  
**

* * *

_Handling the katana was getting easier with each passing minute. It really wasn't all that heavy, now that she was used to it. And Sasuke was remarkably patient. Every once in a while, Hinata thought she saw a trace of something almost kind in his eyes, whenever she managed to get something right. After having another attack safely deflected by a sharp movement from Sasuke's kunai, Hinata staggered back, dropping the katana onto the dirt. Sasuke grabbed her arm and whipped the kunai up to her throat. _

_The expected blush never came. Hinata had her arms held out in front of her, pressed against the Uchiha's chest and stomach. She could feel his breath on her face, and her own breathing hitched uncomfortably in her throat. A wide smile was spreading across Sasuke's face, and he tossed the kunai to the side, taking hold of her upper arms and pulling her even closer to him. Hinata stared up at him, the blackness of his eyes drawing her in as he tilted his face down towards hers..._

"Wake up, Hinata." Her eyes snapped open, and it took her several seconds to make sense of the gray sky overhead. Gray meant sun, and sun meant morning. "Someone will be missing you."

The Hyuuga sat upright quickly, looking over at Sasuke. He was sitting a few feet away, katana sitting across his lap. He glanced up, meeting her gaze briefly with a flat expression. Her dream came rushing back all at once, and she stood up, trying not to think about it. She was aware that people would be missing her. Hanabi couldn't cover for her much longer, and if Naruto came looking for her at her house, there was nothing anyone could do. But they had gotten so little done last night! The katana certainly _hadn't _gotten any lighter. The muscles in her arms were throbbing painfully, and had actually started spasming during training. As for patience...apparently it was something Uchihas weren't good at. At least not this Uchiha.

He had never said anything to put her down or criticize her directly, but the frustration behind his expression was more than obvious. After a few hours of training, right around the time when her arms were twitching from the effort of swinging a sword around, Sasuke had appeared right beside her, and taken hold of her wrist. He took the katana away, and had her train on her own.

_"I never paid any attention to you before. Neji's abilities always overshadowed yours. I need to see exactly what you can do, what limits you have." Sasuke had stepped away, face completely smooth. _

_The words has cut her slightly, and although she tried to keep it from showing, Hinata had the feeling Sasuke didn't miss a thing. She straightened up, and felt the small surge of chakra from her right. Curious, she glanced at Sasuke again. His eyes glowed red in the darkness, and she shuddered, pulling her gaze away quickly. She didn't comment on it, knowing it made more sense for him to be able to see her more clearly. And he was far enough away that she didn't feel quite as intimidated. Despite that, having him watch her so intently made her even more self conscious than she was already. If she messed up even a little, he would know half a second before she did._

_Sasuke had remained completely silent until she had stopped moving, activating her Byakugan and channeling chakra into her hands. The moment she had begun the protection of the eight trigramas sixty four palms, Sasuke had straightened up, leaning in closer with his eyebrows drawing together in a deep frown. Hinata hadn't noticed the change in him at first, not until she had ended the jutsu and turned to look in his direction. He was standing frozen, frown still in place. "Do that again." He instructed quietly.  
_

_"I...I don't know that I can." The strain of the training was starting to take a toll on her, and she had never been able to use the technique twice in a row, one right after the other. Not as efficiently, anyway._

_"I can't believe I didn't realize..." Sasuke wasn't looking at her anymore, he was staring at something she couldn't see. Hinata felt a spark of irritation. He could say _some _things out loud, couldn't he? She simply waited, knowing he'd have to speak eventually. "The Sharingan can't copy kekkei genkai abilities, but usually I can at least understand how they work." He moved forward, taking hold of her hands. "Channel the chakra again, but more slowly."_

_Having no idea where he was going with this, Hinata had obliged nonetheless, pushing the chakra into her palms and extending it in a sharp, bladelike form. It was shockingly more difficult to extend the chakra slowly as opposed to all at once, and her hands had started trembling all over again. "How far?" Sasuke's voice broke into her concentration, and the chakra snapped back into her hand almost painfully. _

_"Uhm...I'm n-not sure."_

_"I need you to tell me more about the Byakugan. How it works...exactly how you disable chakra and interact with tenkutsus." The expression in his eyes was impossible to argue with when she was looking at him, so Hinata yanked her hands away and dropped her gaze. _

_He should know what it was like trying to keep secrets of a kekkei genkai. They were the most guarded information a clan could possess. And he was just asking her to betray everything she knew. Just like that. Her uncle had died to protect the Hyuuga's secrets, and Neji had never entirely forgiven her for it. What would he think if she told someone with hardly any prodding? Not only that, but an Uchiha? A member of the Hyuuga's biggest rival clan. Or...what had once been their biggest rival. "I...I c-can't, Sasuke-kun. I'm s-sorry."_

_Sasuke snorted. "Why not?"_

_"I j-just c-can't betray my f-family like that."_

_His previous reaction was nothing compared to this one. Sasuke threw his head back, a loud laugh barking from between his lips. "You're willing to betray your village for Naruto, but you won't betray your family for him?" _

_Hinata couldn't understand precisely why this was so funny for him. "It's...it's not...I'm not..."_

_"Do you want to protect him or don't you? Your Byakugan could give us a huge change at killing Itachi, but if I don't know how it works, I can't come up with an adequate plan-"_

_Hinata's frustration and insecurity had bubbled over. "M-maybe you should just trust me! You have a g-general idea of wh-what I can d-do. And there's no way I'm going to be any help! I'm n-not a match for y-you, why should I be able to do a-anything against...against him? I'm j-just...I'm just supposed t-to distract him, aren't I? J-just long enough for you t-to get in there and finish it yourself! You d-don't c-care if I...if I..." As her anger waned away and she became more aware of the expression on the Uchiha's face, her voice faded. She ended up whispering the last word so quietly that she was almost certain he couldn't hear her. "...die."_

_She expected him to stomp away and leave her there, or yell at her, or something similar. Instead, a bizarre emotion sparked in his eyes. Almost like guilt. Was she right, then...? The suggestion that he was just using her had appeared before, but now it cemented into her mind. Any thought she might have had about him caring for her dissolved, leaving her feel somewhat empty.  
_

_"Get some sleep." He had instructed, deactivating his Sharingan and sitting in front of the tree._

_Hinata had curled up on the other side of the training field, facing away from the Uchiha. Things changed so much around Sasuke, like he didn't even know how to regulate one emotion at a time. He was never consistently hostile, nor consistently kind. Randomly, her thoughts drifted to Sakura and Ino, and all the other girls who had been obsessed with Sasuke back when he lived in Konoha. She couldn't understand it. The boy was beyond help. Perhaps one of the worst things about him was how inconsistent he made _her. _She couldn't figure out if she enjoyed his company, or if she would rather he disappear forever. On top of all that, she had never really harbored ill will to anyone before. At least not anyone in her generation, who had once been an ally. The boy was beyond frustrating, Hinata decided. She was never this emotional, and she had no doubt that it was a direct influence of being around Sasuke so much. _

_Maybe that's why Sakura always seemed so upset. Sasuke's presence was poisonous. _

_The moment she thought the words, Hinata felt guilty. He had been through a lot, and wouldn't she be a much different person if someone like Neji decided to go on a rampage and killed her entire family? But that was different. Hinata wouldn't resist someone's help, if they offered it. If someone wanted to make her feel better, feel safe again. Despite the discontent roiling in her mind, her body was tired enough that she fell asleep against her better judgement._

"If you don't want to come back tonight, I'll understand." Sasuke's voice was so quiet she almost couldn't hear him. "I wouldn't want to _force _you into anything. I just thought your affection for Naruto would be stronger than your dislike for me." He didn't exactly pause, but his posture changed, and his eyes turned hard. "And my dislike for you seems to be too much for us to work together constructively. I should've asked Sakura instead."

At that moment, Hinata couldn't argue. The mix off irritation, frustration, and embarrassment she was feeling stunned her to the point where she couldn't even think about crying. Without looking back, she pulled her jacket more securely around her and hurried off towards the village.

* * *

Sasuke watched her leave, feeling strangely rejected. He couldn't help but compare the situation to what it would be like if Sakura _were_ the one he was training. For one thing, he wouldn't have any problem getting her to do what he needed her to. She'd follow him without question. Slowly, Sasuke stood up. He had seen Sakura a few times since Naruto returned to the village, seen how she had matured. Even he couldn't deny it to himself that she had gotten stronger. The amount of sheer strength she could produce was undoubtedly impressive, and her skills as a medical ninja were progressing rapidly.

But sheer strength wasn't going to do a whole lot against Itachi. Every one of Sakura's attacks was transparent enough for the Sharingan to see through. To know exactly where and how it would hit. And Sakura's reflexes and movement were hardly good enough to escape Itachi's speed. Sasuke would likely end up having to save her time after time. And one of those times, he was sure he himself would get injured. Sakura would, of course, immediately rush to his side to help him. And in that moment, Itachi could kill her. Or in the very slim off chance that she _didn't_ go to his aid, she might leap at Itachi without thinking.

And Sasuke could never put Naruto in danger.

Stretching, the Uchiha turned and walked away from the village. Hinata seemed to have finally discovered that he was using her, and he couldn't blame her for running away. Sasuke snorted, shaking his head. Hinata wasn't anything special. She was distracted by Naruto, distracted by her love for Konoha. Just another Chuunin with high expectations and righteous faith in the Will of Fire. A strange tightness constricted around his throat, and Sasuke stopped walking, surprised. There was no way he was going to c_ry_ over this girl.

He was usually pretty good at lying to himself. At making sure he didn't believe anything that could compromise his ultimate goal in life. And he never had a problem with it. But saying those things to Hinata had made him feel actually guilty. She was making him feel guilty a lot more than he was really comfortable with. Frustrated, the Uchiha broke into a dead sprint, heading towards the same compound he had brought Hinata to some time ago. Unfortunately, the running wasn't enough to cut out his internal monologue.

'She isn't doing this for you.'

_'Her motivations don't matter. She might be able to help-'  
_

'She's doing it for him. For Naruto. She loves him. She's IN love with him. Nothing's going to change that.'

_'I couldn't care less about what she does on her own time.'_

'She wouldn't betray her family.'

_'That has nothing to do with me. I wouldn't betray the Uchiha either.'_

'That didn't stop you from asking her.'

_'I figured her discontent with Neji would-'_

'Her and Neji get along fine now. She wouldn't betray her family for YOU. But she'd betray Konoha for HIM.'

Sasuke slammed the door of the compound behind him, grinding his teeth together as he tossed his katana onto his bed. It really was a shame that he was so tired and yet couldn't sleep. Insomnia could be a real bitch when you wanted to escape reality.

'If she were here, you could sleep just fine.'

_'No, I'd be worried she was going to sneak off and tell someone where I was.'_

'You slept when she stayed here.'

_'I was exhausted.'_

'You felt safe. You're deluding yourself if you think even for a second-'

_'I don't care about her. I don't want her, I don't want her with me, I have no interest in spending time with her.'_

'Good. Because at this point, your brother has a better shot of-'

"SHUT UP!" Sasuke slammed his hands into the wall palms first, subconsciously not wanting to damage a place with good memories of his family. "JUST SHUT UP!" His shout echoed in the empty building, and almost instantly he felt ridiculous. Have conversations with himself was one thing, but yelling at himself to shut up was an other thing entirely. Slowly, he let his hands slide from the wall, flopping to his sides. He didn't want to think about this right now. The darkness in his mind seemed willing to keep his thoughts to...himself.

He was not going to apologize to her. Not in a million years. It wasn't the sort of thing he did. If someone didn't like him or the way he operated, then oh well, they would just have to deal with it.

But that attack last night...Sasuke frowned, pressing his lips together. He had been able to see the chakra, he was able to tell exactly how she was manipulating it. But once her Byakugan was activated, he had no idea what the _purpose _of the chakra was. He couldn't tell what it was going to do. Itachi probably knew more about Hyuugas than he did. So he would assume, just like Sasuke, that this type of chakra was meant to disable tenkutsus. Especially if Hinata could manage to hit him with that attack at least once, and demonstrate his suspicions were correct. Then she could change the chakra, make it into something else, and the next time Itachi got close enough, she could take him by surprise.

Sasuke's mood increased dramatically. That actually had a shot of working. It made him feel better that he had a plan in mind. Of course...now there was a good possibility that Hinata would never speak to him again.

'You _could_ apologize.' The voice was back again. Sasuke groaned.

_'She'll probably come back on her own...'_

'She'd be more likely to if you showed that you AREN'T trying to use her.'

'_No. There has to be another way.'_

'You'd think so, wouldn't you?'

It was ludicrous to imagine that a thought could sound smug.

* * *

Hinata was unprepared for the reception that awaited her at home. Her father, the current leader of the branch house, Neji, and Hanabi were all sitting in the main room. The leader of the branch house wore an impassive expression, as if he was really only here because Hiashi had told him to be. It was probably true. Hanabi looked bored, and Neji looked mostly apathetic, but there was a hint of sympathy for Hinata in his features.

Hiashi, on the other hand, looked downright livid. Hinata stopped the moment she had crossed the threshold. The tension in the room was palpable. "Uhm...H-hello T-tousan..."

"Where have you been?" The branch leader spoke first, which worried her. Her father must be too furious to speak.

"I-I was...t-training..."

"Don't lie!" Hiashi was on his feet in the time it took for Hinata to brace herself. "That Uzumaki kid came here looking for you!! He wanted to make sure you made it home okay, since you SPENT MOST OF LAST NIGHT AT HIS HOUSE."

Hinata didn't bother defending herself at that point. Even though, technically, Naruto's house was still destroyed and they had been staying at another apartment he had rented. The battle was lost before it had even begun.

Hiashi continued yelling, mentioning things like honor and family, and how boys like Naruto were only interested in one thing, and if she even so much as _thought _about thinking about sex, he'd find a chastity belt for her. He yelled about how if she was that desperate for a boyfriend, he would arrange a marriage inside the Hyuuga clan. Did she _want _her children to be born with fox tails? (Hinata didn't point out that if she wasn't allowed to think about sex, she probably wouldn't think about what her children would look like either.) Just when she thought she might melt into a puddle of humiliation, the conversation took a turn she hadn't been expecting. She decided to resume listening.

"-Neji has improved quite a lot, and I know that in the past branch families do not mix with the main house, but-"

"NO WAY!" Neji had leaped to his feet and shouted at the same time Hinata had. She glanced at her cousin and felt instantly sick, the blush on her face tripling in intensity. The only satisfaction was the way Neji's face lost all color. She never tired of seeing him in discomfort. Although right now, she had more pressing concerns.

"Hiashi, you know that's impractical. You can't just force them together..."

Hinata and Neji looked at the branch leader, appalled. That was the _only _argument he could come up with?!

Luckily, Hiashi didn't actually seem very sold on the idea. "Okay, okay, calm down."

Yeah, because clearly, Hinata and Neji were the ones who had lost their minds. Twitching, Neji sank back into his seat. Hanabi looked close to vomiting.

"This all comes down to one thing, Hinata. I don't want you seeing the Kyuubi boy anymore. I never imagined we'd have to have this conversation in the first place, I thought you were smart enough to stay away from dangerous people on your own, but apparently not. You will not leave the estate without an escort, unless it's for a mission. Consider yourself grounded. Do I make myself clear?"

Hinata's throat was completely closed off. She could only nod.

"Good." With that, Hiashi and the branch leader spun and left the room, going in opposite directions. Hanabi sat where she was, looking uncomfortable. Neji left a few seconds later, eye twitching almost constantly. Hinata remained frozen, looking at the ground while tears welled up in her eyes. Could this day get any worse?

"I'm sorry, Hinata...Hiashi caught me posing as you this morning...I-I tried..." Hanabi scampered off, as if afraid Hinata would be upset with her too.

"W-wait! H-Hanabi...c-could you...tell h-him for me?" Hinata's voice broke in three places, even in such a short sentence.

Hanabi paused, then frowned, looking just as sympathetic as Neji had earlier. "Yeah, sure."

"I-I...j-just wait for a m-minute." Hinata rushed into her room, grabbing a piece of paper from the table beside her bed. She emerged a few minutes later, handing the letter to her sister. Hanabi nodded and darted out the front door.

* * *

"Hanabi." Hiashi reached out, catching his younger daughter by the arm. He held out another envelope, nearly identical to the one Hinata had given her, and took the original letter, stowing it in his sleeve. "Go, then." And his expression was such that she didn't argue, merely darted off to find Naruto while her father tossed Hinata's letter in the fireplace.

* * *

Naruto gripped his forehead in his hands, barely hearing Sakura's words as she tried to comfort him. He really wasn't even listening to her. Had he really messed things up for Hinata? He didn't want to get her in trouble...

"Uhm...Naruto-san?" Her voice was similar enough to her sister's that for a moment Naruto brightened, despite the honorific that made it impossible for Hanabi to be Hinata. He whirled around.

"Oh. Hey. You're Hinata's sister, right? Is she okay?"

"She...wanted you to have this." The girl-Hinabi? Was that her name?-Held out an envelope. A letter? That was good! Maybe he'd still be able to see Hinata after all. He accepted the letter eagerly.

"Hey, thanks!" Naruto thought Hinari had a weird look on her face, guilt or something, but decided to ignore it, and ripped the letter open without thinking.

Naruto stared at the disappointingly short note, unblinking. Sakura leaned over his shoulder to read it. "...At least she said sorry." She whispered, frowning and watching Naruto's reaction.

What...? She said it didn't matter! Hinata didn't care that he had the Kyuubi sealed in him! She liked him anyway! ...Didn't she?

Naruto felt his shoulders slump, and he released the note, letting it drift to the ground.

Hanabi forced herself not to look at it, simply turned and rushed away as quickly as she could.

"Naruto? I'm so sorry, Naruto..." Sakura wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him tightly. He barely noticed. What had he done wrong?

* * *

Hinata waited on the inside of the Hyuuga estate, as per her father's orders. Her window faced the estate wall, and with her Byakugan activated, she could see right through it. And so she sat eagerly, glancing at the clock every few seconds as if she could somehow make time go faster that way. She remembered her note perfectly, each word blazing in her mind over and over.

_Naruto-kun, I'm so sorry. My father doesn't want me to see you anymore. But I...I don't care what he thinks. I love you. _(She had written that part very quickly, hoping it would ease the embarassment.) _I still want to see you. I'm just not sure how, but we'll figure something out. Can you be at the wall outside my window at midnight? My father should be asleep by then. I really need to talk to you. Please be there._

_Love, Hinata_

Midnight was getting closer and closer. Five minutes away...now four...now three...Hinata looked left and right, searching for any sign of chakra. Some hint that Naruto was on his way. 12:00 blinked on her digital clock for an entire minute, then the little one scrolled up to take the zero's place. Despite him only being a minute late, Hinata's heart crashed into the pit of her stomach. He wasn't going to be there. She knew it. He didn't feel the same way. Maybe she had been fooling herself this whole time. Sakura had always been the one he liked, right?

The rejection intensified with each passing moment. Finally, when 1 in the morning rolled around, Hinata couldn't contain herself any longer. Why wasn't he there? The Hyuuga leaped out her window, pausing only to grab her kunai case on the way. She had no intention of returning to her home, one way or another.

The time it took to run to Naruto's place wasn't enough for her to get her thoughts in order. So when she finally did get there, she had no idea what she was going to say. Hesitating, she hid herself in the bushes on the opposite side of the street, then, after a moment of deliberation, she activated her Byakugan.

There were two people inside, one was clearly Naruto, and Hinata's throat tightened painfully when she realized the other was Sakura. She couldn't hear them, but she could see the envelope that had held her letter on the ground by the couch. Without sparing it another glance, she looked back at the blond and the kunoichi. Sakura leaned in, and she was stroking Naruto's hair. He was letting her. And he was turning her face towards her, and he was smiling slightly, and so was she. And then they were kissing, and Naruto was wrapping his arms around her...

It was like a bad accident. She didn't want to stare, but she couldn't look away. This wasn't a moment of weakness, or of longing for Sasuke. This wasn't confusion or loneliness...Naruto didn't want her anymore. Her father was just an excuse for him to dump her. Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand and they left the living room, moving down the small hallway. Hinata could have followed them by intensifying her Byakugan, but she decided against it. She really didn't want to see what they were going to do.

Releasing the chakra from her eyes, Hinata sat back on the ground, her hands curled into fists and resting on her knees. What now?

There really wasn't an option. She couldn't just...stop loving him. He had stopped loving her, obviously. But she couldn't return the favor. She would just have to carry on with her original plan. A rush of goosebumps swarmed up her arms, and she stood up, then bolted off in the direction of the Konoha gates.

Izumo was on gaurd duty. He barely had time to yell before Hinata had blazed past him, a blur in the darkness.

Hinata wasn't entirely sure where she could go to find him, but hoped he wouldn't be far. She didn't want to tire herself out running before-

_THUD_

She heard the sound before she felt the pain and even registered a change in motion. Someone's foot had connected with her back at an angle, sending her flying through the air. Hinata braced herself for the impact of a rock or a tree or the ground, but instead something smashed into her stomach, sending a wave of heat up into her throat. She half coughed and half vomited, the metallic taste of blood dribbling warmly down her lips and chin. As her eyes readjusted, but she couldn't make sense of the darkness in front of her. It was night (or morning) but it couldn't be _that_ dark. She should be able to see shapes of trees...

Oh. Someone was standing there. Someone taller than her, blocking her vision. Someone who had grabbed her arms in a crushing crip. Slowly, Hinata looked up, senses still dulled. Part of her didn't _want _to realize what was happening. "Hyuuga." Ice swept over her entire body, and she felt his breath on her hair.

"I-I...I c-cou..I...." Words froze in her throat before she could find the air to use them.

"I have a new proposition for you, since you came so readily into my arms..."

"Itachi, come on. We're here for the Jinchuuriki brat. Leader says he doesn't want any more failures-"

"Be quiet, Kisame."

Kisame? Hinata's heart rate spiked while panic raced through her. They were both here. They were here, and they were after Naruto. Tonight. Now. Right now. And this was the real Itachi. Her body was frozen, except for the terrible tremors raking across her muscles. She couldn't tear her gaze away from Itachi's face. His Sharingan wasn't activated, but that was hardly a relief. He could kill her before she had time to scream, before she had time to realize her life was about to end.

"Come with us, Hyuuga."

"Are you insane, Itachi-?" Kisame really just sounded bored. But his voice rumbled in such unfamiliar ways that Hinata couldn't be sure.

"I said be quiet!" Hinata nearly passed out then and there. Her very blood was quivering. Itachi turned his eyes down onto her, a smirk pulling at his mouth. "How'd you like to come with us tonight, Hyuuga? The Akatsuki could use the Byakugan on it's side. And if you do, we can put off the Jinchuuriki's capture for say...another two weeks."

Kisame snorted, folding his arms.

Hinata couldn't speak. She couldn't think anymore, couldn't move. Itachi leaned down, his lips brushing against her forehead. "Just say yes, Hyuuga." He released her arms, lifting his hands to her neck, and frowned. "For the people you care about, you wouldn't betray your village? Not even to save their lives?"

In her mind, Sasuke's hands were grasping hers. His words echoed silently. 'Channel the chakra again, but more slowly.'

Her arms were free. That was all she needed. Hinata whipped her arms upward sharply, chakra whistling from her hands and forming a protective web around her. Itachi was thrown back several feet, and she could see his cloak was shredded in several places. Kisame moved in quickly, and Samehada was bearing down on her before she had time to think. The jutsu had no effect on the weapon. She could do nothing but watch as the blue sword swept at her and bit deep into her side. The blood spurted instantly, but curiously, it didn't hurt. She knew it should, and she was aware of vague pressure and a slight discomfort as several of her ribs snapped with an audible _crack_. The small part of her brain still functioning credited the lack of pain to adrenaline. The sword continued to move, and then there was no more pressure.

The lack of pain she was grateful for, but her body still reacted to the sudden and severe loss of blood. Hinata's knees buckled, and she watched the ground come flying up to meet her. The Hyuuga rolled onto her side, trying to make sense of the sideways world she was staring at. Kisame had lifted one foot, and he placed it on her leg. There was another sickening _crack, _and this time she felt the pain as it seared up her leg. 'Femur,' her brain supplied weakly.

Her throat was hurting. Was she screaming? That was a surprise. She didn't think she had any energy left to speak, let alone scream. Kisame's foot drifted down, and she felt rather than heard the snap this time. 'Tibia...' her brain shut down, beyond the almost forgotten lessons of anatomy back at the academy. Then Kisame was moving to the side, and Itachi was crouching in front of her, Sharingan activated.

'Yes,' Hinata was almost happy to see it. 'Please, just kill me.' She wanted to say it out loud, to beg him. He was reaching out, one hand touching her cheek. His cold fingers were petrifying as they slid down her shoulder and arm, then to her side...

'I'm so sorry, Naruto-kun, Sasuke...I...I...' Hinata let her eyes slide closed, grateful for the blackness.

Something was irritating what she knew should have been a calming experience. A loud, incessant chirping that made her want to cover her ears. But her arms were so unbearably heavy. The chirping was getting louder...

* * *

**Author: Am I evil? I think so. But this chapter was longer than the others, I think. I had a hard time when I tried to stop writing. All of a sudden I was just extremely motivated. I got lazy at the end though, I felt like the battle should have been longer, but...honestly, Hinata didn't stand a chance against Kisame and Itachi all by her lonesome. I'm starting to get all this stuff planned out, which is nice. There will be a sequel that is up to date with the manga around chapter 403, but then there will be another time skip and things will take a slightly different route. I won't get into it now, I think I'd better finish up this story first. **

**But I think it's safe to say this story is probably about halfway done, give or take. And as of this chapter, the triangle will be shifting. But that's all I'm going to say.  
**


	11. Motivation

**Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize.

* * *

**_Dear Naruto,  
I'm sorry, but I don't want to see you anymore. The monster sealed inside of you makes it impossible for me to feel safe and I don't see how anyone could feel otherwise. Don't come to talk to me.  
-Hinata_

Naruto wasn't sure what made him bring the letter home. He kept re-reading it, hoping the words would somehow change. Sakura was still asleep. They hadn't gone all the way, but they had gone farther than he ever had before, and all he could feel was regret. He couldn't help but feel like Sakura was using him somehow; he had never been the one she really wanted. The thought that somehow there had been a misunderstanding between him and Hinata seemed completely impossible, but he clung to the idea desperately. He should go talk to her anyway, even if she didn't want him to. He had to hear it, had to hear her voice say those horrible things...no matter how much it hurt. Or maybe she had been using him too.

Frustrated, the blond tore the letter to shreds, tossing it into the garbage and stomping back into his room. Sakura sat up, rubbing at one eye sleepily. "Naruto...?" Her voice sounded slurred...Naruto froze. Had she been _drunk _the night before?! He hadn't smelled anything on her breath, but there was plenty of time between Ichiraku and her coming to his place at night for her to become intoxicated. He felt embarassed that he might not have noticed. From the expression on Sakura's face, he guessed he was right. "Uhm...Can I use your shower?"

"Yeah, Sakura-chan. Go ahead." Wow, he didn't sound much better than she did.

_

* * *

_

What was she doing? It was past 1 in the morning, there was no way Hinata should be leaving the village. And Izumo just let her! Some security Konoha had. Usually it worked in his favor. He wouldn't be able to sneak in so easily if security wasn't as lax as it was. But this was ridiculous. Letting a lone Chuunin just leave with no explanation? Sasuke ground his teeth together. And Hinata had left through the front gates. It was like she wanted to get caught. She'd never get back in undetected, the security would be waiting for her. The Uchiha felt a frown crease his forehead. Unless she didn't want to return at all.

And why was she leaving in the first place? For a brief moment, Sasuke wondered if she was going to meet him after all. But he thought it was pretty obvious he wanted her to meet him where they had trained the previous night. He didn't follow right away, coming up blank as to what she could be thinking. Slowly, he turned away from Konoha, moving in the direction Hinata had gone. He kept his distance, just far enough back that she couldn't sense him, but not so far that he lost her. With his Sharingan illuminating the path, it would have been near impossible to lose the trail anyway.

It surprised him how quickly she was moving. Not just a steady run or jog, the pace most ninja traveled at, but an all out sprint. He didn't exactly have difficulties keeping up, but there was a mild urgency to the speed that worried him. Where was she _going? _Had Itachi contacted her again? Sasuke felt a boiling irritation surge in his chest. Had his brother told Hinata to meet him somewhere? Had he tricked her into leaving the village? Threatened her with Naruto or something?

The moment thoughts of his brother occurred to him, he had no doubts that he was correct. He knew Itachi was somewhere nearby. It wasn't so much that he could sense his brother's presence-after all, Itachi was quite good at concealing his chakra-it was more a _feeling_...He had to get to Hinata. Now. He wasn't too far away, but he was far enough that if anything happened, he might not get there in time.

"Hyuuga," The word whispered through the trees, and the irritation bubbled over into a rage. Sasuke increased his pace, wishing he had just said something right away instead of just following Hinata. He had reasoned, earlier, that revealing himself immediately and expressing interest in her destination might constitute something of an apology. He knew that was absurd, but he really had to make sure she didn't think he cared about her. Everyone he cared about ended up dead or hating him.

Sasuke could hear more conversation, mostly Itachi and his partner. Hinata didn't seem to be saying anything. The thought made his heart speed up. Was she even alive anymore? There was a spike of familiar chakra, and he relaxed for a moment, faltering in his step and slowing slightly. Hinata was using a justu. Despite himself, the Uchiha smiled. Could she have done that two months ago? Unlikely. He generally didn't have much of an ego, but he still liked to think he had something to do with it.

Then, abruptly, the chakra vanished. Sasuke slowed further, knowing even as he did so that his response was off. He should be speeding up. But he could hear much better now, he was getting closer, and he couldn't feel Hinata's chakra at all anymore. A scream pierced the air, hoarse and broken. Sasuke froze, his eyes widening as a breeze carried a sickening metallic scent to him. The scream carried on, snapping off before it seemed the person was out of breath. _Hinata._

Without another moment of thought, Sasuke formed a series of rapid handsigns, and a clone appeared next to him, rushing off right away towards the battle. At the same time, he began pushing chakra into both his hands, and the familiar chirping soothed his nerves, stopping the trembling in his fingers. He waited until he felt the clone poof away. Then he sprang forward the last few yards through the trees, thrusting both hands at the closer target: Kisame.

He saw the outline of Samehada swing upward a few seconds before it happened, and ducked down just in time for the weapon to swing harmlessly overhead. Both his hands connected with the shark man's abdomen. The chidori sparked inward, concentrating it's intensity, and flung the taller shinobi backwards. Samehada clattered to the ground, and Sasuke didn't waste time checking on Kisame. He wouldn't be moving for a while. Instead, he whirled around, drawing his katana in the same motion with every intention of cleaving his brother's head from his shoulders.

Seeing Hinata stopped him cold. He felt his breath catch in his chest, choking him. Her right leg was twisted at a bizarre angle, and he could see the broken edge of her tibia poking up through her skin. It wasn't her leg that drew his attention. Her shirt was torn open, and a gaping wound started just to the side of her navel, spreading out in a triangular shape away from her body. Her lower ribs were exposed, the skin that covered them having been shaven off. She wasn't moving, and for a moment his heart stopped. But, yes, her chest was still rising and falling sporadically with fluttering strain. Sasuke hadn't noticed at first that Itachi was crouched over her.

"You..." Rage closed off his throat, and right as he was about to leap forward, he saw the outline of Itachi's hand move and stopped.

Itachi held a kunai to Hinata's throat. "Sasuke. Now isn't a good time."

His face was so impassive, so calm. He'd kill Hinata, just like he'd killed their parents without a second though. Murder meant nothing to him. The old pain of betrayal and vulnerability flared up, bringing with it all the emotions he tried so hard to suppress. If she didn't get healed soon, she'd die. She'd clearly lost so much blood already. But Sasuke knew he'd already shown a weakness in himself, by stopping. Itachi knew he could use Hinata's life against him. Sasuke hadn't even realized himself that her life was important enough to get in the way of his revenge. It shouldn't be. He didn't care about her that much. SHE was alive. HER heart was still beating, pumping blood through her veins. She could still wake up, smile, laugh...his parents couldn't. His cousins, his aunt and uncle, they'd never smile again.

And it was all his fault. This man who knelt not three feet away from him. So Hinata dies, it was worth it. Sasuke would never get another opportunity like this. He could take Itachi by surprise, and Kisame was out of the picture for now. This was it. Sasuke tightened his hand on the katana, knowing the moment he made the conscious decision to move, Itachi would kill the Hyuuga. Already, his mind was trying to sever any familiarity with her. She would have to be a sacrifice, to rid the world of this evil. He didn't want to mourn another person, but it was too late. Sasuke felt his feet leave the ground, and he swept the katana at his older brother's neck right as Itachi drew the kunai across Hinata's throat. The moment the blade connected with Itachi's body, Sasuke let out a strangled yell.

The clone vanished, and Sasuke's arm overextended. Met with no resistance, the katana cut through the air better than he had prepared for. He didn't care, and released the sword, turning around to look at the kunoichi on the ground. For nothing. He had ended her life for nothing. _No. _He sank to his knees, grabbing at her shoulders. Her head lolled to the side, eyes open and blank. The blood wasn't flowing from her throat anymore. It was a clean cut. Sasuke's mind went blank, horror sinking into his bones. "NO!" The word came out as a half articulated scream. Something inside him snapped, and he clutched the girl to his chest, the pain convulsing into self-disgust at his own actions. There wasn't any reason to guard or hide himself anymore. She was dead. It was his fault, he had done this to her. And he hadn't even accomplished anything in the process. It was for nothing! He didn't deserve to live anymore after this.

Itachi would die, and then, Sasuke didn't care what happened to him. Hinata, Hinata, Hinata...

Then she was gone, and he was standing right where he'd been a few minutes ago. Sasuke blinked, looking at the place Hinata had been laying. Kisame stood there, having draped the Hyuuga over one shoulder. His stomach was still bleeding slightly, but he just seemed irritated by it instead of unconscious like he should have been. Itachi was on his feet, and Sasuke could see the Tsukiyomi fading from his brother's eyes. He found it difficult to even care that he hadn't realized it was genjutsu. She was alive. He hadn't killed her.

He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

* * *

Hinata had often been relieved to faint. When Naruto was too close and she couldn't think of anything to say, it was an easy escape to just pull the plug and not deal with anything for a few minutes. Pain, hearing, smell, they all went away when she was unconscious.

This time was different. Even passed out, Hinata was aware of the pain. She suspected that she wasn't actually unconscious. Rather, the pain was so mind-numbing that her body's first reaction was to shut down to protect her mind. It seemed cruel that she could still feel her leg. She imagined that she could sense the precise place where her bones were broken. Hinata drifted from awareness to unawareness, feeling the fluctuation in chakra when Itachi activated his Tsukiyomi...what was Sasuke seeing? It was Sasuke, wasn't it?

Then there was a dull thump, the sound of a body hitting the ground, and she slid into blackness once again, frustrated that she lacked the energy to open her eyes.

The next time she came around, things were different. Her mind seemed to have cleared, and miraculously, the pain was nearly nonexistent. Hinata stirred, trying to sit up. Curiously, her arms wouldn't move. It didn't make sense...her arms hadn't been injured. Instead, Hinata focused her energy on the front of her head, and her eyelids slid open. Almost instantly, she shut them again. The light in the room was blinding. More slowly this time, she opened her eyes, squinting until they adjusted to the light.

Three things happened in rapid succession. Someone rested their hand on her stomach, over the place Samehada had cut into her skin, and a spasm of fresh pain snaked up her chest. Hinata snapped her head to the side, and felt her stomach clench painfully. If she had eaten anything recently, she was sure she would have thrown up. Itachi didn't look at her, merely kept his hand where it was and applying more pressure.

Second, Hinata bucked away from the touch, her body jerking to one side. Panic settled into her skin as straps on her shoulers, waist and thighs restrained her, holding her down. She was on some kind of modified surgical table, which explained the bright light directly overhead.

And at the same time, a muffled scream of pain echoed from outside the room. Itachi looked up at the noise, frowning deeply. "Kisame's getting carried away...I should stop him." He muttered, seemingly unaware that Hinata was conscious, or that she was even there. He stood up, and Hinata realized the pain hadn't been coming from his hand. He set a scalpel on the surgical tray by the table, then turned and walked away.

Hinata tried to focus, tried to make some sense of her surroundings. She was on the table, it was cold and hard beneath her back except for some kind of pillow supporting her head. The ceiling overhead was lower than she had expected, made of a dark stone. The walls were similar, and Hinata wondered vaguely if they were underground. There were no windows. Hinata turned her head to the other side, and saw that this must be specifically a medical room. There were two more surgical tables to her left, and a row of cabinets on the wall by her feet. The table farthest away from her seemed to have been used recently. The straps were all unfastened, and the waist strap was broken, the leather charred as if it had been heated rapidly. A pile of white cloth was tossed onto the foot of the other surgical table.

The Hyuuga closed her eyes. Someone had given her morphine, it felt like. That was why the pain had been numbed. But it was coming back now, very slowly, but surely. She had to get out of here before she couldn't move anymore. And before Itachi came back. But she couldn't make handsigns, couldn't even activate her Byakugan. She could push chakra into her hands, but chakra all by itself was difficult to control. If she was off by even an inch, she could end up stabbing herself instead of the leather. _Concentrate. _Hinata started molding the chakra, extending the blade slowly as she had per Sasuke's instructions less than 24 hours ago. At least, she figured it hadn't been longer than that. It was impossible to tell...

Her concentration slipped, and while the chakra sank back into her hand abruptly, a shot of pain from her stomach broke her focus. A low whimper escaped her throat, and she curled her fingers into fists.

_"Who is that?"_

_"_Hyuuga girl. Itachi and Kisame brought her back."

_"What for?"_

"I didn't think to ask. But she can't be too important. They're probably just going to dissect her for the Byakugan."

_"Can we eat her?"_

Hinata struggled to look over her head, but couldn't manage to shift her shoulders enough. She had to make do with looking to the right and then up, to the sound of the voices. She could see a mass of green and black, but the image didn't make sense to her.

"Oh. She's awake. She might scream."

_"I like it when they scream."_

The shape moved into full view, standing directly next to the table. The Akatsuki cloak covered most of his body, but Hinata could see the giant plant that seemed to be attached to his head, each side cupping his head, half of which was black while the other was white. His hair was green, and his eyes seemed to glow yellow.

"She's already bleeding. And it looks like her leg is broken."

_"So what?"_

"It looks like someone was trying to fix her. They might be upset if she gets eaten."

_"So hurry up. It'll look like she just vanished."_

"Hm."

The Akatsuki reached down with one hand, and Hinata felt her heart spring into overdrive, pumping adrenline and fear through her bloodstream. She thought about screaming, but she would almost rather be eaten than suffer whatever Itachi was planning for her. A new course of action presented itself, and she didn't even pause to think about it.

Hinata let the chakra explode from her palm, but the Akatsuki's eyes were sharp, and he seemed to melt into the very ground while her attack zapped harmlessly into the air.

"She isn't totally useless."

_"Debatable. She did miss, after all."_

"Ah...we should go."

_"Yes."_

The voice seemed to be coming from no where, and then the Akatsuki's presence vanished altogether, only to be replaced by a new one as the door to the room opened. Itachi walked back in, and Hinata tensed, clenching her teeth. He blinked, gaze on her face. She didn't bother looking away. A Tsukiyomi attack could very well kill her right now, which apparently wasn't what the older Uchiha brother wanted. He took his seat by her bed, but didn't reach for the scalpel again. "Two broken ribs. Your femur was broken about halfway down the shaft, and your tibia was nearly shattered. We repaired your femur to the best of our abilities. And our healer managed to fix your tibia. You should be able to walk again soon." He paused for a moment. "The edges of the wound on your stomach were jagged. I had to remove some of the skin to sew it back together, which I'm going to do now. I can't give you any more morphine. This will hurt. But if you don't get sewn up soon, you could die."

"Wh-why?" Hinata wasn't aware she even _could _speak until she was. "Wh-what do you want from me? I c-can't...I w-won't do anything for you! You should just kill me and save yourself the trouble of saving me!" The Hyuuga thrashed against her bonds, suddenly panicked to have that needle anywhere near her.

"I'm trying to help you." Itachi frowned, moving his hands away from the wound that was quickly getting more painful. It was stinging now, instead of the sharp pain she had been experiencing earlier.

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" The scream ripped from her throat, tearing through three octaves. The Uchiha barely reacted. His frown merely grew more pronounced. Hinata felt a spasm of a different sort of pain. He looked quite a lot like Sasuke when he did that. Sasuke...the chirping!! It had sounded just like the chidori. And that scream earlier, it had sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. Now she realized it had been Sasuke's voice. "Wh...where's Sasuke?!" She demanded.

Itachi blinked, looking down for several seconds. When he did speak, she didn't understand his tone. He sounded very calm, and there was a strange undercurrent of mingled curiosity and guilt in his voice. "He was unconscious for several hours. When he woke up, he saw you and panicked. Thought you were dead. What is my brother to you?"

The question froze her brain. Hinata stared at Itachi for several seconds, then looked away, staring up at the ceiling with tears brimming in her eyes. No one moved for an entire minute, during which Hinata counted her own heartbeats, trying to find some form of reason. What _did _Sasuke mean to her? It was impossible to call them friends. Eighty percent of the time, she resented him for the way he treated her, and for what he had done to Naruto. And then, fifteen percent of the time, he was training her. She could tolerate him then, and she even liked him a little. She couldn't help but respect him for his skills. No one else she knew, not even the Jounin, could move as quickly as he could. And to be the last member of his clan couldn't be easy.

While at the same time she frowned upon Sasuke for the distress he put Naruto through, she was grateful that he had found a real friend. Because even if neither of them really admitted it, she could tell how much they valued each other. And then there was that remaining five percent. The random moments where she felt unreasonably protective of the Uchiha. When she felt like if she never saw him again, she would feel empty for a long time. The times where she wished that she had met him a long time ago.

There wasn't a word for what he was to her.

Itachi didn't speak again, and Hinata gave a sharp gasp as she felt the needle bite into her side. He ignored her, and proceeded to stitch the wound closed. The Hyuuga curled her fingers into fists, whimpering each time the needle punctured her skin. How had Sasuke managed to keep quiet, when she stitched his stomach? He hadn't even had _some _painkillers in his system, and he had barely reacted at all. Hinata clenched her eyes shut, trying to stop herself from crying out.

After what seemed like an eternity, the pricking and pulling stopped. With her breathing shallow, Hinata opened eyes that were blurry with tears. Itachi unfastened the straps holding her down, then stood up. She thought briefly about running for it, but the notion fled her mind as quickly as it had appeared. She guessed she would barely be able to hobble to the door before the Uchiha caught her. If she was very, very lucky.

Itachi leaned down, sliding one arm under Hinata's back and pulling her upright. Hinata blanched away from him, trying to stand up on her own. Immediately, her leg collapsed beneath her as if it wasn't there at all. Hinata threw out one hand, numbly trying to stop the fall, but before she could even touch the surgical table, a powerful arm encircled around her waist, holding her up. Hinata shivered, trying to lean away, but her leg dragged uselessly on the ground. She panicked for a second, wondering if she was even more injured than she had previously thought.

"Your leg is still healing. I numbed it so you wouldn't feel as much pain. Walking will be impossible for you alone right now-"

Hinata shoved weakly at the Uchiha's chest, anger flaring up at the word 'impossible'. He fell silent the moment she began struggling.

"You need to clean yourself, to prevent infection. If you don't cooperate, I'll just have to strap you back to the table and wash you myself."

For the first time in days, embarrassment flooded Hinata's cheeks and spread to her entire face and neck. The thought made her woozy, and her mind clouded over. _Oh, Good. I'm going to faint..._

_"_No, no." Itachi grabbed her chin firmly, tilting her face upward and jarring the sliding sensation in her mind. "If you faint, I'll still have to do it myself. I just won't have to restrain you."

Hinata glared up at the Uchiha, morbidly humiliated. The blush didn't go anywhere, but her mind remained alert.

Itachi gave a small 'huff' that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle, and pulled Hinata towards the door. It would have been impossible not to be dragged along, and although Hinata toyed with the idea of delivering a devastating attack to the Uchiha's tenkutsus, she knew it wouldn't do her a lot of good. Itachi led Hinata into a hallway that was very similar to the room behind her. Dark stone walls, with sparse lighting on the ceiling that illuminated the way a few feet at a time. They didn't go far, only passing one door before Itachi stopped and slid open the door they were facing.

The bathroom was very small, with the bathtub only two or three feet away from the door. "You have ten minutes." Hinata looked at him, panic briefly flitting through her mind at the thought of standing up all on her own. He misread her expression. "Twenty minutes." His lips pulled upward slightly, and the smile made Hinata feel uncomfortable enough that she didn't even worry about walking anymore. "If you need help, I don't mind." The only thing that kept her from fainting was Itachi's earlier threat. With another near-chuckle, Itachi closed the door behind Hinata, and she heard it lock quietly.

There was a pile of clothes on the ground behind the door she hadn't noticed right away. Gingerly, keeping her weight on one foot, Hinata leaned down and pulled them apart. They seemed to be the same kind of clothes Itachi was wearing. Dark blue shirt with some netting at the top and blue pants, along with blueish sandals. There was also a neatly folded Akatsuki cloak beneath the pile. For a moment, Hinata considered not wearing any of them at all. But when she took in the state of her own clothes, she blushed all over again. Her shirt was barely in one piece. The outfit was surprisingly close to her size, and even looked like the fit was designed for a girl. Was there a woman in Akatsuki she didn't know about? Hinata looked at the door, wishing there was a way to lock it from the inside. There wasn't. So the Hyuuga took a deep breath and pulled her nearly destroyed shirt over her head. Her bra seemed mostly intact, which she was greatful for. Tucking her undergarments beneath the clothes, Hinata leaned over and turned on the faucet, waiting for the water to fill the basin.

Then she paused. Getting in the tub might not be so hard, but getting out again...Hinata could feel the hair on her arms standing on end. The bath was so clearly warm, and the air was so cold...it was difficult to focus. Hinata grabbed the edge of the tub with one hand and planted her other palm against the wall, then stepped into the tub with her good leg. Carefully, she lifted the other leg into the tub and sat down, sliding deep into the water. Her right leg, the injured one, she examined carefully. There was a long surgical-looking incision on her thigh with several stitches on the skin. It seemed fairly clean, but she scrubbed it anyway, very carefully despite the fact that it was still completely numb.

Her stomach was another story. The skin seemed slightly stretched, and she wondered how much she had actually lost when Samehada had cut her. The stitches there looked like the permanent kind that have to be removed at some point. That area was also extremely tender, and she just sank her torso into the water, wincing and hoping the warm water would be enough of a disinfectant for now. There wasn't a clock in the room, so she didn't know how much time she had left. But she did know that she wanted to be fully dressed when Itachi opened that door.

There was a loud _BANG _from outside the bathroom that made Hinata jump, water splashing outside the tub. She could hear Itachi should from outside.

"What's going on?"

A second voice that she recognized as one of the plant guy's answered.

"_He's gone!_"

A low growl, then, "Watch the door." There was a stomping of footsteps, and a grumbled protest. Then silence. Hinata's heart thumped unevenly. Which door? Her door? If he was watching an outside door, maybe she had a shot of getting out of here. Hinata brought her hands together and felt the chakra pulse around her eyes just when someone appeared in the bathroom beside the tub.

It took every once of her self control not to scream. Sasuke wasn't wearing his shirt, and she could see the long half faded cut she had stitched up stretching across his skin. There was a new wound, a nasty looking gash in his shoulder and a small but deep cut on his cheek that was bleeding slightly. The skin on his arms were strangely pink, as if they were sunburnt. "Hurry," He hissed. Hinata kept her arms wrapped around her chest firmly, blushing furiously.

"I...I'm n-naked...! T-turn around s-so I can g-get dressed-!"

"There isn't _time!" _Sasuke nearly spat the words. Looking frustrated, he leaned forward abruptly. Hinata's eyes widened and then clamped shut as Sasuke scooped her from the water, grabbing the clothes from the ground in a single motion. He stood her upright, then pulled the cloak on over her shoulders and fastened it quickly while Hinata stood completely frozen in horror. Sasuke's eyes didn't linger anywhere, and he kept his face completely blank while he buttoned the cloak up her stomach and chest. "Can you walk?" He stuffed the rest of the clothes into one of the cloak's vast pockets, then glanced at her face. She couldn't reply, swaying slightly in shock. "Nevermind. Just don't let go." He grasped her arm and turned around, pulling her up onto his back as if she weighed nothing at all. Hinata managed to fasten her arms around the Uchiha's neck, and lifted her good leg around his waist. He reached back and held onto her knees, then rammed his shoulder into the bathroom door.

On the second try, the door flew off it's hinges and collapsed into the hallway. Hinata pressed her face into Sasuke's back, stomach throbbing and her foot stinging as the feeling slowly began to return to her leg.

* * *

It wasn't like he had been expecting something different. Sasuke assumed Hinata would be treated better than he had, which probably included being allowed to bathe on her own. The chakra injection in his arm was fading more quickly than he had estimated, and he felt fairly confident that he could manage a teleportation jutsu just a few rooms over without being completely incapacitated. But the acid that the shark man had poured on his arms was more than he had bargained for. They had brought in a woman with blue hair who healed the raw wounds, but his arms still stung painfully even now. Barely conscious, they had dragged him into a claustrophobically small room with chains attached to the wall.

Kisame had let go of him briefly, letting him slump to the ground. It was all he needed. Summoning up most of what strength he had, Sasuke had leapt to his feet and unleashed a fire jutsu at the Akatsuki man, who had flown into the stone wall with a resounding _BANG. _Then Sasuke had whirled around and darted out the door.

The motion put him directly in front of his brother. In the space of one moment, he had made a decision that nearly had him shouting in frustration.

He had, in a fake universe, sacrificed Hinata's life to kill his brother. But even in that alternate reality created by Itachi, he had failed. Somehow, he had known exactly what to show Sasuke in order to sway his resolve. For sixteen years, he had one goal. Kill the man who destroyed his family. It wasn't overly complicated, and there was absolutely no reason one girl who he had grown inexplicably attached to in such a short time should get in his way. He could kill Itachi now, he was sure of that. Right here, in this hallway, Sasuke was sure that the opportunity had indeed presented itself. Assuming he lived through it, there was still the matter of the other Akatsuki. He would be weaker after the battle, he had to be. And if the Akatsuki killed him, what would happen to Hinata? He didn't want to leave her to be killed or tortured or worse by the others. The mere thought of any of the Akatsuki going near her had him seeing red.

Unsure if he was going to live to regret his choice, Sasuke released the building jutsu and vanished, appearing in the bathroom he had been taken to earlier. If the others had any sense, they would likely assume Sasuke had found a way to get out of the building, had found a way to circumvent the chakra barrier that disallowed that sort of thing to anyone not in Akatsuki. But anyone who would willingly be in an organization of any kind with _Itachi _probably didn't have any sense to begin with.

He had expected that Hinata would be in the bathroom, but for some reason, he didn't really associate the bathing process with nudity. Well, he did, but he hadn't really thought it through. So he wasn't exactly prepared for standing in front of the Hyuuga, and getting a complete view of her. She covered up quickly, but the image was burned into his mind. He thought he handled it pretty well, getting clothes on her as quickly as he could and trying not to think about it. But then she was on his back, and he was very aware that the only thing separating him from her was a single layer of cloth, and her legs were wrapped around his waist...

Only the sickening feeling of several powerful chakras nearby kept him sane. Otherwise, running would have been very difficult for him. He wasn't entirely sure how to get out, but common sense drove him away from the bulk of the chakras. The hallway turned into a dead end, but Sasuke could feel the small chakras of birds and other animals just beyond the stone wall. He tensed, and told Hinata to hold on more tightly, then built up chakra in his hands. Letting go of the Hyuuga's legs, he slammed both palms into the stone, lightning spiderwebbing from his fingers and across the wall. Half a moment passed before the wall collapsed in a cloud of dust. He had leapt through it before the dust cleared, and, relieved to be outside, the Uchiha took off at a dead sprint. He had to get Hinata away from here, back to Konoha where she could be safe.

He didn't release all the chakra he had used for the chidori, but instead spread it over himself and Hinata, decreasing the intensity of both until their chakra signatures were little more distinctive than that of the squirrels in the forest.

Slowly, Sasuke processed the rain pelting against his face. It had barely been a drizzle when they left the hideout, but now his hair was plastered against his head and the falling water was obscuring his vision. He decreased his pace to a walk, only to feel a faint increase in chakra from behind him. He bristled, realizing at the same time that it was only Hinata. Probably activating her Byakugan. He heard her voice in his ear, quiet and tired.

"N-no one's following us. They w-went in the other direction."

Sighing, Sasuke pulled the chakra back into his own body, and was alarmed at how dim Hinata's strength was. He could barely feel her there, arms locked in place and her entire body shivering against his. There wasn't really anywhere nearby they could rest at. The Uchiha compound was still several miles away, and Konoha was even farther. Hinata seemed to guess at what he was thinking.

"I'm f-fine. R-really. J-just k-keep going." The stutter seemed brought on by cold rather than nerves. And her injuries had been so severe...were they even dressed properly? Sasuke felt a spark of irritation with himself. So she gets a cold, big deal. She was the reason he had missed his opportunity to kill Itachi. He had just saved her life, which made up for his own guilt at sacrificing her before. But would it even count as saving her if he just abandoned her in the middle of the forest, wounded and alone? Part of his mind insisted that, yes, that was good enough. Especially when he could have left her to the Akatsuki. But the other part of him knew he'd still feel guilty if he did. Which would defeat the purpose of the whole thing. Frustrated, Sasuke straightened up. Hinata loosened her grip around his neck, probably thinking he was going to leave her. Strangely, it made him more determined to take her to safety. As if he had something to prove.

"Don't let go!" He admonished, bracing himself. The last time he had taken Hinata with him in a teleportation jutsu, he had thrown a shuriken first to tag the location. He had left several tags around the fire country, and there was one in the compound he was heading for. But Hinata was so weak, he wasn't sure she could keep a hold on him during the rapid movement needed for the transportation. He'd have to risk it. Taking in a deep breath, Sasuke released the chakra he had built up, and the world vanished around him. At the same time, he felt Hinata slipping into unconsciousness. Quickly, the Uchiha turned around and shifted his arms so he was holding her more supportively, cradling her head against his chest. "Hinata?" She didn't move, and her face looked even paler than usual.

But she was still warm enough that he felt confident hypothermia wasn't going to be an issue. He guessed her current state was more due to her injuries and shock than the cold. He carried her down the hall and to the same room she had been in last time, then set her down on the bed carefully. The Akatsuki cloak was thoroughly soaked, but he really didn't want to take it off her. Seeing her like that again..."Hn." The Uchiha bit down on his tongue to distract himself, and yanked back the covers, sliding the still unconscious kunoichi under them. Making sure the blankets reached up to her chin, he reached under them blindly and managed to tug off the cloak without seeing anything. Satisfied with himself, he tossed the soaking garment onto the ground after fishing out the rest of the clothes Akatsuki had provided from the pocket. They were just as wet, but the Uchiha decided it didn't matter. Hinata couldn't very well go skipping back to Konoha dressed like an Akatsuki member.

He was pretty sure there were spare kunoichi clothes in the supply room, just as he was sure he would find things for himself there. Leaving Hinata in the room behind him, he made his way to where everything he needed was stored, and began sifting through the clothes for ones in his size. Every item had Konoha's insignia sewn somewhere on it. There were flak jackets and even a few Konoha police uniforms...Feeling the old wound tear open and start bleeding again, Sasuke threw the clothes onto the ground. He couldn't wear this. He wanted his other clothes; the ones he got from Orochimaru's hideout. These things just reminded him of what he had lost, and of the revenge he had given up. He grabbed one of the flak jackets and a pair of pants, along with a fresh set of sandals and a shirt, and tossed them onto Hinata's bed. Then he whirled around and stomped off to the bathroom.

* * *

One moment she was clinging to Sasuke's back, and the next she was warm and lying on her side. Hinata shifted, forcing herself to sit upright, unaware that she had fallen asleep at all. The cover slid from her shoulders, and she clutched at it quickly, her own nakedness embarrassing her. The room was familiar enough for her to feel secure, and once she saw the clothes at the end of the bed, she reached out and pulled them on as quickly as she could.

Gingerly, she swung her legs out of bed, rolling her feet around to see if there was any pain. Surprisingly, she only felt a little sore. Her stomach was still throbbing horribly, but at least she could stand and walk on her own. Her chakra seemed back to normal, so she must have slept for a while, but there were no windows in the room and no clocks, she had no way of knowing. Hinata held out her hands in front of her, noting the slight trembling in her fingers. Usually she had very steady hands...the trauma of the past day must have taken more of a toll than she realized.

Carefully, she moved forward, sensing someone in the other room. She had been with him long enough to know that it was Sasuke, but somehow she worried he was going to be angry with her. She emerged into the front room, where Sasuke sat with his katana across his lap, arms folded. Hesitating in the doorway, she didn't move again until Sasuke spoke. "Why did you leave Konoha?"

Hinata blinked, puzzled by the question. She wanted to know why he had even followed her in the first place, but he had saved her life several times now, and she figured it was her turn to ask some questions. "I...I was going to kill Itachi on my own."

This didn't seem to be the answer he was expecting, for he turned to look at her, eyebrows lifted slightly. "On your own? Are you suicidal?" His voice was harsh, accusing, and she wondered what she could have done to make him so mad.

"There's nothing left for me in the Leaf Village, I can't do any good there. And I couldn't rest knowing that _he _was still alive and you were still in pain." She blurted out the words so quickly that for a moment she wasn't sure he understood her.

"You got in the way, again. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything else-"

"Why did you save me then?!" Hinata raised her voice so it was louder than his. "You should've left me there to die, then maybe you could have succeeded! I'm sorry I'm such a _burden _to you-!" She stopped talking suddenly as Sasuke stood, moving towards her. The expression on his face was unreadable.

"You could have gotten killed, going after him like that. Why would you do something so stupid?"

She didn't answer. He was so close to her, she could feel the heat from his body. He still wasn't wearing a shirt. "I...wanted to help you."

Sasuke stared at her, as if going through several options in his head, wondering what was motivating her. He lifted one hand to her face, pushing her hair out of her eyes, then leaned forward, his lips nearly touching hers...

* * *

**Author: I was much happier with this chapter than the last one. I stopped rushing things. I think I just got overexcited last time. But WOW I wrote a lot. This is the longest chapter so far...and I had a hard time stopping. Again. The story is about to get VERY SasukexHinata-y. So BE PREPARED. And reviews are love.  
**


	12. Pain

"Hinata," Sasuke's voice was suddenly sharp, guarded, and she nearly scowled at the sudden relapse. "I'm sorry." It was possibly the worst thing he could have said. The absence of his closeness was frustrating, and Hinata felt her shoulders slump and her hands curl into fists. Stepping away from Hinata, the Uchiha straightened his shoulders and spoke again. "I need to go back to Orochimaru."

The words didn't properly register. "Wh-what-?"

"I let you die." Again, Hinata stared at the Uchiha blankly, wondering if he had lost his mind.

"N-no you didn't, I'm right here-"

"In an illusion. I had the opportunity to kill Itachi, and I took it, even though I was fully aware it would kill you. If you continue to follow me around, it's what's going to happen. Only next time, it'll be for real. If you want to live, you'll go back to Konoha."

Hinata swayed a little, the feeling was returning to her legs, and it was obvious she wouldn't be able to follow anyone anywhere. She didn't reply, thinking that maybe she _should _just go back to Konoha. But she didn't know how she could face Naruto and her family again. Sasuke glanced at her, seeming to notice her current state. "You can stay here, until you're strong enough to go back."

"What are you going to do?"

"Finish him off, once and for all."

"I can help you! You know I can!"

"Not the way you are now."

"I...I'll prove it!" Hinata fumbled slightly, sinking into an awkward fighting stance. Her leg was stiff, and when she tried to move it, searing pain shot up her hip and spine. The Hyuuga stifled the cry of pain that threatened to spill, and stared at Sasuke, panting. "Come on! Attack me!"

Sasuke quirked one eyebrow. "Your attacks are defensive. I might not have to protect you as much, but you wouldn't be _helpful_ to me."

"W-well unless you want to carry me all the way back to Konoha, you're going to have to let me go with you!" Hinata forced strength into her leg, leaping at the Uchiha. His Sharingan flicked to life, and he stepped to the side nimbly. But he didn't move quite fast enough, and Hinata slammed her palm into the Uchiha's lower arm. Sasuke grunted, clutching Hinata's wrist and yanking her hand away from him. She stumbled, her leg giving out.

Sasuke held onto her arm tightly, and Hinata felt a painful jerk in her shoulder as he preventing her from falling. Hinata sniffed slightly, eyes tearing up from the pain. "You can stay here." Sasuke repeated, lowering the Hyuuga to the ground, where she let her arms flop to her sides, frowning. She didn't want to stay here alone. Her whole life had been spent in relative solitude...feeling Sasuke's eyes on her, Hinata forced herself to straighten up, keeping her injured leg out in front of her.

"S-so is that it then? I just...I won't see you ever again?"

The Uchiha paused, then moved around in front of Hinata, looking down at her. "You're supposed to be with Naruto-"

"And you were supposed to be with Sakura!" Hinata blurted, finally letting her emotions bubble over. If Sasuke wouldn't show what he was feeling, she'd compensate by showing enough emotion for both of them. It made her uncomfortable just thinking about it; she always preferred to be a private person. "A-and...Naruto never really wanted me. He didn't...he didn't feel the same way about me." It surprised her that talking about it actually lifted some of the weight around her heart. "I...he was everything to me! He's what I wanted to be and he made me feel like as long as I didn't give up, there wasn't anything I couldn't do. I love him!"

Her words were met with silence, and Hinata lifted her gaze slowly, unsure if Sasuke was even there anymore. He had probably just run away from the psycho, emotional girl who kept bringing him down. She was a little shocked to see he hadn't moved. He was still staring directly at her, his Sharingan now dormant and his coal black eyes clouded with some strange expression she couldn't place. The only thing she could guess was that he wasn't happy. All thoughts of confronting him and demanding anything from him drained out of her brain, leaving it completely blank.

A light breeze whistled through the trees, pushing Hinata's hair away from her neck and sending a cold chill over her skin. Just as she was about to say she'd head back to Konoha, Sasuke moved, reaching down and taking hold of Hinata's upper arms. He lifted her off the ground, supporting the weight her injured leg couldn't.

"I c-...w-what are you doing?" For a moment, Hinata thought he was taking her up on her not-very-serious offer of being carried back to Konoha. But Sasuke half carried her back to the compound, letting go of her when they were standing in front of the couch in the front room. Hinata lost her balance, flopping clumsily onto the cushions, and looked up at the Uchiha in puzzlement.

"The compound hasn't been restocked in a while." He said, his tone almost lighthearted. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving Hinata gaping after him in confusion. Would it kill him to say what he was doing every once in a while? She didn't think it would, but maybe Uchihas had some kind of mental block. Immediately, Hinata felt guilty. Sasuke had grown up without a family, without anyone. It wasn't his fault that he was emotionally stunted.

Well, Hinata wasn't just going to sit around hoping he came back. The flak jacket she was wearing actually had some supplies in it. Old ones, but trap wire doesn't have an expiration date. Now she just needed something like a splint. There was a chair sitting beside the couch, looking only a little out of place. The compound wasn't really decorated with aesthetics in mind. Hinata reached out, pulling the chair over to her. It was sturdy, but held together with wood glue, not screws. Bracing herself against the couch, Hinata snapped off four of the wooden planks that made up the seat, measuring them out against her leg. They were a little short, and back to back only reached about midway down her shin, but it was her upper leg that was giving her trouble.

Using the trap wire, Hinata managed to secure a decent substitute for a splint around her leg, then leaned back, satisfied with her work. Using the back of the chair for support, she stood, testing her balance. Putting any weight on her leg still hurt too much to walk normally. Hinata frowned, looking at the chair. "That could work." She murmured, sitting back down. This time, she pushed a little chakra into her hands, then swung her arm down sharply, removing the back of the chair and the back legs in one piece from the rest of the chair.

With the chair remnants as a crutch, Hinata tried walking again, and sighed with relief. The chair held up nicely. It was uncomfortable, but worked just fine. The Hyuuga hobbled her way down the short hallway, trying each door as she passed it. The first two were bedrooms, and the third was a bathroom. The fourth was a supply closet, which made her do a double take.

Sasuke made it seem like the compound was completely lacking all supplies. But the closet seemed fully stocked. There were even clothes strewn on the ground, and Hinata recognized some flak jackets like the one he had given her. Puzzled, Hinata moved farther into the closet, taking down some of the medicines and herbs. It would be easier if she had a base ointment, but the jar of it was on the top shelf. Balancing on two feet was hard enough, let alone trying to stand on her toes.

Nevertheless, Hinata tried, propping her makeshift crutch against the other side of the closet and reaching up. Her fingertips brushed the jar, pushing it a little farther away from the edge of the shelf. Frustrated, Hinata stood up higher, trying for the jar again. This time, her hand closed around it. The triumphant smile died before it reached her face as one of the chair legs snapped off, sending her falling backwards.

Hinata clamped her eyes shut. The fall wasn't going to kill her or even knock her unconscious, but it was probably going to hurt. She didn't even had time to fully brace herself for the impact when an arm encircled her waist, pushing most of the air from her lungs. Feeling like she shouldn't be surprised, Hinata looked up at Sasuke, hugging the base jar against her torso.

"What are you doing in here?" He didn't help her to stand up straight, and Hinata felt too tired to do it on her own, instead opting to let Sasuke support her. She didn't feel like answering, either, and just let the silence stretch, going over the possible medicines she could make. The closet HAD been stocked nicely. She had even found an ointment that had been discontinued ten years ago, when the plant had become endangered. Hinata dropped her gaze to the base ointment, turning it around to read the ingredients.

She could use just this for the suture on her stomach. It could be fully healed within a few days if she mixed it properly. Were there any more of these? Hinata looked back up at the top shelf, and she could see a few more jars, but they were too far back, and she couldn't tell what was in them-

"Tch." Sasuke made an irritated noise, lifting Hinata off the ground altogether and into his arms. She looked at him, noticing he was wearing the clothes he had when she first met him. The faded scar on his chest was barely visible, but she could tell it was taking longer than it should to heal. As he dropped Hinata on the couch, she shoved the base ointment up at him. The Uchiha blinked, quirking one eyebrow.

"I don't need that." He started to push her arm away, but she held the jar in place, looking at him with what she hoped was a stern expression. It must have come off as pathetic, because Sasuke smirked. "All right. Fine. If it will make you happy." He snatched the jar, and started pulling off his shirt. Hinata felt the blush spring into existence like someone had flipped a switch, and moved her gaze away quickly, staring down at the wooden floor. "Aren't you going to help me put it on?" Sasuke dropped his shirt on the ground; Hinata could see the white fabric out of the corner of her eyes.

Positively glowing with embarrassment, Hinata stammered out a reply. "Y-you c-could...g-go put it on i-in the b-bathroom and use the m-mirror."

"Hm...I guess." Sasuke paused, looking down at the jar in his hands. Hinata snuck a quick peek at him, thinking maybe it would be better if she just got over it. Sasuke was leaning over, his pale skin shining slightly with a thin film of sweat. He must have run back from wherever he got the clothes. She had seen him without a shirt before, and might have been able to handle it, if Sasuke hadn't been looking at her. His arms were draped on his knees, where he was resting his weight, and his head was turned, eyes focused on her face and an almost _playful _smirk on his lips.

Her breath caught in her throat, and Hinata felt her heart start racing, while her stomach felt like it was going to drop right out of her body. "Tell me something...about Naruto."

Naruto? Hinata opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Baffled, she just stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"The two of you aren't together anymore?" The smirk was still there, although he looked a tad more serious now.

Hinata felt a small stab of pain, and dropped her gaze. They weren't together anymore. He had picked Sakura over her. But saying it out loud, admitting it...it was going to hurt. The thought was already making her blush fade away. "N-no...I guess we...we aren't together anymore." She had to say it, but the moment she did, a sickening feeling slammed into her gut, and she thought she might throw up. She had lost Naruto. She had him, and she had lost him.

"But you still have feelings for him." Sasuke's tone had shifted. He sounded very grave, serious. Hinata looked up, wanting an expression to go with his voice. He was looking away from her, down at the ointment again, turning it over in his hands.

Hinata didn't want to face how she felt. She locked away all feelings of love, not sure how to interpret them anymore. "I promised I wouldn't abandon him." She said after a short pause.

Sasuke snorted a little, then nodded. "It's good he has someone who cares about him. He needs that."

Hinata stared at him until he spoke again.

"You're good with medicines. You gave Naruto some ointment during the chuunin exams, didn't you?"

He didn't seem to want an answer, so Hinata didn't reply, but inside she was surprised. He remembered that?

"Have you ever considered being a medical ninja?"

The surge of anger was more than Hinata had expected, and she knew even as she thought it that her feelings were irrational. Sakura was a medical ninja...was that why he came back? Did he think she was going to be some kind of replacement for the other kunoichi? Obviously, she wasn't as good as Sakura, or else Naruto wouldn't have left her for the pink haired girl. Hinata clenched her fists, her teeth clicking together. "I can't...I can't be Sakura for you, Sasuke-kun. I'll go back to Konoha as soon as I can walk again."

She was aware of Sasuke looking at her again, but didn't plan on letting him stop her from talking. That is, not until he started laughing. Hinata felt her mouth flop open in shock, and couldn't do anything besides gape at the Uchiha as his body shook with the tremors of his hysteria. She wasn't entirely sure that the laughing had anything to do with amusement. It was probably just pent up emotion escaping through a brief chuckle or something that escalated...to this.

Thankfully, the laughter didn't last long, but then Sasuke placed one hand on Hinata's good leg. "If anything, I wish _Sakura _were more like _you._"

Hinata stared at the hand on her leg, her body trembling slightly. He didn't remove his hand, and Hinata could feel him watching her. Slowly, she lifted one hand, trying not to notice the very obvious shaking in her fingers. Hesitating briefly, she placed her hand over his. The moment their hands made contact, Sasuke pulled his arm away. Quickly, Hinata reached out and caught his fingers. "Sasuke-kun...you...you need someone who cares about you too."

The Uchiha paused, his hand frozen in midair with Hinata's fingers wrapped around his. "Like Sakura." He said quietly. Hinata started to reply, but Sasuke's face twisted in pain and he jerked his hand from hers abruptly. "A lot of good I've done for her. She shouldn't have tried so hard for me. And you shouldn't either. Anyone who cares about me is just going to suffer loss, the same way I have."

Everything he was saying swirled around in Hinata's mind for several moments, before it all came crashing down around her, falling into place as she realized exactly what he was saying. If she had been able to, she would have jumped to her feet. As it was, she managed to sit up a little straighter, half standing before slumping weakly back onto the couch. Sasuke glanced at her, expression calm and even.

"Y-you...you weren't...you're not planning on..." She couldn't even make herself think the words, let alone say them.

"I'm not going to outlive Itachi by very long, no. There are a few things I need to know, but-"

"No. I won't let you."

The Uchiha blinked, then his eyebrows drew together in a scowl. "The only reason I'm still alive is to kill him. Not even you can change that."

"You can't just kill yourself-!"

"There's nothing else I have to live for."

Hinata could feel her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. "Your death...it would d-destroy him!" She whispered, not sure she could find the strength to speak out loud. A hint of puzzlement clouded Sasuke's expression. "N-Naruto-kun...he's still trying to s-save you. He's trying to save you, and if he c-can't...he...he won't ever be the same."

* * *

Of course. Of _course _she would be worried about Naruto. What his death would mean to _Naruto. _She didn't care about him personally. Sasuke found himself straining to keep his face blank, but it was becoming increasingly difficult around Hinata. She could usually tell what he was thinking even without the aid of expression. Sasuke narrowed his eyes slightly, going over the things she had said.

She said Naruto never wanted her. He didn't believe that for even a second. Something must have happened, some kind of horrible misunderstanding. But for her to just completely give up on Naruto ever loving her again, there must have been another event that dashed all her hopes. From her reaction about his offhand comments about becoming a medical ninja, he assumed it was something related to Sakura. And the way she kept pushing Sakura's feelings on him...

Maybe they had gotten into a fight and Naruto had assumed they were broken up, then he jumped right into bed with Sakura. Sasuke sighed internally, wondering if his departure could really have affected Sakura badly enough that she was seeking comfort wherever she could. He felt guilty, but not enough to do anything about it.

What was Hinata thinking, then? Did she honestly believe he could just return to Konoha and sweep Sakura off her feet? Then what? Naruto would be free, and she was hoping he would go back to her? If Naruto was stupid enough to leave her or cheat on her once, Sasuke didn't think he deserved any kind of second try.

She was probably right, though. Naruto was always going on and on about being Hokage and about Sasuke being the closest thing to family he'd ever had. If he died...Sasuke wasn't sure how badly Naruto's depression might become. And Sakura's, as well. They'd probably even be stupid enough to blame themselves, as if they had had any part in his leaving.

Sasuke rarely allowed himself time to mourn or think of his clan's death, but now, briefly, he wondered what life could have been. If he had grown up normally, and his rivalry with Naruto had never reached the epic proportions that it was at now...

Quickly, Sasuke backtracked. If he hadn't had the motivation of killing Itachi-although when he was younger he didn't entirely understand what it would mean-he never would have worked so hard in the academy. He wouldn't have achieved top scores, and he probably wouldn't have been on the same team as Naruto and Sakura at all. He might have even ended up on Hinata's team.

He could've helped her. If he had gotten to know her earlier, they could have been good friends. Even without his clan's demise, Sasuke's ego knew most of the girls in his class would probably still have been obsessed with him. Hinata would probably still have been obsessed with Naruto, which would have been a nice relief for Sasuke. They would have been able to spend time together without him worrying about hurting her feelings or anything like that.

But would they have become friends at all? Hinata had only started chasing after him and talking to him _because _he left Konoha, and because he was important to Naruto. And with him gone, Naruto was unhappy, so Hinata had been worried about him.

"S-Sasuke-kun?" He looked at her, noticing that she was still shaking as if the air was chilly, but to him it felt almost too warm. She must be nervous. Again. "P-please...p-promise you won't do anything...like that." Sasuke let out a long sigh, fatigue suddenly washing over him. Carefully, not wanting to hurt her leg any further, he reached out and moved forward at the same time, pulling Hinata against his chest and wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

Smiling faintly at the small 'eep' of surprise that he felt rather than heard, Sasuke spoke. "I'll try."

She didn't seem to be shaking anymore. Sasuke felt her wiggle slightly, then blinked in surprise as her arms closed around his waist. "Okay."

"I do have to leave. Just for a while. Orochimaru will come looking for me eventually, or he will send Kabuto. And I don't know what would happen if they find out you're here." There was a good possibility that they wouldn't even care, but there was just as much of a chance that they would want her dead or recruited to be one of Orochimaru's shinobi. None of which were things he wanted to expose her to.

"I-I'll stay here."

She should be safe. No one knew where the Uchiha compound was except Itachi, which was another problem he was trying to ignore. It seemed like Akatsuki was close to capturing the Kyuubi...to capturing Naruto. He would want to help Naruto, but it didn't seem plausible. He needed more strength, and that was something only Orochimaru could help him with at this point. Once Orochimaru was dead, however, he would be more free to make his own choices, and that much closer to killing Itachi. He had fallen off track, with Hinata's strange presence in his life he was becoming more and more distracted. He couldn't allow himself to fail, not when he was so close.

But still...Sasuke lifted one hand, weaving his fingers through Hinata's hair. It was tangled and dirty, but still soft. It definitely looked better long, framing her face and contrasting her pale skin. She was very still, watching him with wide eyes. If he stayed any longer, he probably would feel too guilty to leave. Releasing a burst of chakra, he vanished.

---

"This is unacceptable. I authorized you to bring in the Hyuuga girl, I just assumed you would kill Sasuke if he were nearby. I didn't realize it would be so much of a problem for you, Itachi." The Leader's voice was cold, although it wasn't so much a tone of irritation as it was one completely devoid of emotion. Itachi was just close enough that he didn't have to squint to see him, but his attention was mostly elsewhere.

It had started out as a game. Getting impatient with the capture of the nine tails, Leader had sent Kisame and Itachi out to Konoha, where running into the Jinchuuriki had been almost too easy. It also would have been very easy to kill the Hyuuga when she showed up, alone and stuttering and looking for all the world like a lost schoolgirl. Itachi could remember how loyal the shinobi in Konoha were, willing to throw their lives away just to protect their comrades or the innocent. As if anyone were really innocent. The whole notion of peace Konoha swore they were trying to preserve was utter ludicrousy. Itachi felt a faint stirring in the depths of his memories, an almost nonexistant flutter of pain. He had stopped truly feeling hurt a long time ago, but the resentment towards his former village still remained.

Sometimes he wondered why he had left Sasuke alive. It had been a selfish decision, really. But nothing had been given to him, nothing in his life had been fair. At the time, he thought he deserved one outlet for his grief, one way to somehow defy the orders he had to follow. Even at that age, so long ago, he had been damaged beyond the point of repair. He knew peace was the only way to achieve happiness, and seeing the Uchiha's planning what they were planning...he knew one side would have to take action eventually. Somewhere along the line, between the initial assignment granted by Konoha, and actually carrying out the mission, he had broken. Ever since then, his personality would flip, sometimes he would be so consumed by grief and regret that he couldn't function, and all he wanted to do was find Sasuke and accept atonement for what he had done. Sasuke could never know the truth, never learn what had truly happened, because if Sasuke were to forgive him, Itachi would never be able to find his own inner peace. And if Sasuke would kill him, would avenge the Uchiha clan, he would surely be welcomed by Konoha with open arms.

And other times...he was seized by an uncontrollable anger. He would sink back, retreating into the farthest corners of his mind as he had on the night when he had killed everyone he cared about. He had to repress everything that made him human, it was the only way. And even then, he hadn't been able to do it. He hadn't been able to kill Sasuke. It might have been kinder-he couldn't imagine the struggle Sasuke had gone through, and Sasuke seemed worse off every time he had seen him. There was no one left to be angry with except himself, and the grief would often burst out in moments of near insanity, where his only goal was to cause as much pain as he kept locked away.

He had tortured, killed, hurt people dozens of times over since joining the Akatsuki. It never got any easier, but each time he could feel part of himself growing dimmer. And when Hinata had shown up, he hadn't felt much differently towards her than he did the others. There had been something, a slight memory flickering in the back of his mind. She bore a mild resemblance to the only girl he had had a chance to love, the same girl he had murdered so many years ago. Their personalities were nothing alike, as far as he could tell, but from what he remembered, the sweep of her jaw and the softness around her chin and cheekbones were quite similar. The Hyuuga's hair was a dark blue, almost indigo, while his lover's had been black.

The next time he saw her, he had been going over the comparison in his mind. He had created a clone and sent it to Konoha with a protective chakra barrier around it. Only Hinata would be able to get close, unless someone broke the barrier with some kind of powerful attack. He could remember holding her against him, and the sudden wildness that had taken over when he noticed all the differences between Hinata and the other girl-he wouldn't allow himself to think her name. He had wanted to hurt her, to make her fear him, to drive her to the point of sheer terror just from hearing his name.

He hadn't gone very far from her, but had lowered the chakra barrier and decided to take a shot at the Jinchuuriki, for it was dark and the boy was likely to be asleep. Even now, he wasn't entirely sure how Sasuke had known he was there. He hadn't been able to sense his brother's presence, although Hinata's had blazed plainly as she approached. It snapped the sadistic rage burning through his veins, and he had been able to leave. Sasuke would never be able to finish him off with all of Konoha watching and trying to interfere.

He couldn't stop himself from lurking after that. Hinata never failed to awaken his darker side, and while he was consumed by that darkness, it was easier for him to function. It hurt less for him to exist, and he could almost pretend that he had done nothing wrong. Of course, it never lasted...

And then, apparently, Hinata had met Sasuke. She had been there when Sasuke intervened, and Itachi had wondered if maybe they had become friends of a sort. On a deep, subconscious level, this pleased him. If Sasuke was still able to connect with someone, maybe he hadn't completely destroyed his brother's soul after all. He made a promise to himself that he would leave the girl alone. If Sasuke could survive killing him and still retain whatever relationship he had with her, it would only let him die happier. Hinata's devotion to the Jinchuuriki was a frustrating obstacle he hadn't anticipated. She'd betray her own village, just for this boy...just as Itachi had sacrificed everything for Sasuke.

It was around that time that Pein assigned Itachi another mission. Kisame had informed the Leader of the connection between Hinata and the Jinchuuriki, and Pein had assumed that Naruto would come right to them if they had Hinata. He had told Itachi to abduct her alive if reasonable, but dead worked just as well. The ploy had been too perfect, Itachi was almost disappointed at how well Hinata had fallen for it, at how easily it all had been. A few words about threatening Naruto, a few broken bones courtesy of Kisame, and it was over.

Sasuke had appeared again. This time, he did feel his presence when he got closer, and he was ready with a genjutsu. Because he didn't think he could stand killing someone he hoped Sasuke might have grown fond of. Not right in front of his eyes, anyway. And once again, he had been unable to kill his brother. Itachi knew he couldn't. There were many things, horrible things, that he was capable of. But Sasuke's murder wasn't one of them. So he instructed Kisame to carry Sasuke while he himself lifted Hinata and they made their way back to the base, where he had fixed her. Pein was all for letting her die and Kisame wanted to send one of her arms back to Konoha to entice the Jinchuuriki, but Itachi hadn't let them. She couldn't die.

And now, with Pein lecturing him and waiting for a reasonable answer as to why Itachi had brought Sasuke as well, Itachi couldn't feel anything. No remorse, worry, or regret. Even the darkness was at bay for now, for which he was grateful. His body felt weak today, and his breath came with the constant threat of a throat-tearing cough. He didn't know how much time he had left. "It isn't a problem. The Jinchuuriki was more likely to come after both of them instead of just one."

Pein grunted, clearly not entirely satisfied with this answer. "Don't you think it's time you ended this, Itachi? Go kill him, and bring the girl back-or her head, I don't see that it matters. And don't return until it's done. Kisame will check on you in a week." He moved towards the door, pausing when he drew even with the Uchiha. "Unless you would rather have me send Zetsu."

Itachi turned his gaze on the Leader, watching the malice spread across Pein's face. Without another word, he turned away and left Pein behind, not stopping until he could no longer feel the chakras of his fellow Akatsui. Then he paused to think, wondering where the most likely place Sasuke would have taken Hinata was.

* * *

Hinata was astonished upon waking the next morning, going back over the previous days, to discover that she hadn't eaten at all in nearly thirty six hours. She had been so busy that she had literally forgotten she was hungry. Sitting up slowly, Hinata reached for the makeshift splint she had created the previous day, and put it on again with the aid of trap wire. She had bathed the night before with some difficulty, and felt almost presentable again. Her complete solitude settled in, and she drew in a deep breath, shivering. She wasn't exactly worried about Sasuke, he could fend for himself just fine, and she would only weigh him down right now anyway.

Instead, she was more worried about herself. It was one thing to be in the relative safety of Konoha, but here, she was not only in an unfamiliar place, she was injured and no where near up to her own usual standards. Walking was getting easier. She didn't really need the crutch anymore, which was a relief since she hadn't gotten an opportunity to replace the one that had broken. Her leg still hurt, but it wasn't an incapacitating pain. And with the ointment she had managed to finish late last night, she felt confident that she would be fully healed soon enough.

The storage room had mostly field provisions, along with some things that were not at all to her liking-she shivered at the sight of the nori on the third shelf- but after looking in the large refrigerator, she was relieved. There were all the ingredients to make okonomiyaki, which, the moment she thought of it, sounded perfect. Her stomach growled in agreement. Hinata grabbed the necessary items and left quickly, trying not to look at the packages of ramen sitting just beside the fridge.

After eating her breakfast, Hinata paused, standing with her weight on her uninjured leg and her now clean plate back in the cabinet. She had never been one to complain of boredom, but if she were to simply sit and think, she was sure her thoughts would go to terrifying places. The only training she could think of was chakra control, which didn't seem like such a horrible idea. Maybe she could even figure out how to use genjutsu. She knew the theory, but without someone else to either practice on or instruct her, she probably wouldn't know if she was making any progress.

Hobbling outside, Hinata sat down awkwardly with her leg stretched out in front of her and her back against a tree. Taking a deep breath, she placed both palms flat on the grass beside her and closed her eyes, feeling for the chakra that swirled calmly under her skin. Slowly, she began pulling it in, tightening the chakra and folding it back in upon itself.

Just as she had completed pulling the chakra in from her legs, a powerful presence nearby disrupted her concentration. It only took her a single heartbeat to know it wasn't Sasuke, and as he spoke, Hinata's body froze, every muscle growing rigid as the iciness of his speech washed over her. "Hello, Hyuuga."

Trembling, Hinata opened her eyes, lifting her gaze to see Itachi standing in front of her.

* * *

**Author: WOW it took me so long to update! I'm sorry! Things have just been kind of crazy...but I got a few reviews and I remembered how much I wanted to continue this. My next update shouldn't take so long, I promise. The next one probably won't be so long, but you never know. Enjoy! **


	13. The Return

The first thing she looked for was the glowing of his eyes. The crimson eyes that would completely paralyze her and trap her in her own terror. But his eyes were black. Normal, and looking too much like Sasuke's. Why was he here? Sasuke was too far away to help, if Itachi was here to kill her. And if he was...Hinata grabbed the tree behind her, a miscalculated burst of chakra denting the bark as she created a handhold where there wasn't one. Splinters crackled from the tree's trunk, and Hinata pulled herself to her feet, trying to act like her leg didn't hurt her at all.

Fumbling a kunai from the case on her leg, she braced herself against the tree. She could finish him! She just had to get close enough, and then she could easily-

Itachi doubled over suddenly, his body spasming. Hinata gave a sharp intake of breath, confused and anxious. A horrible cough racked the Uchiha's frame, and he stumbled half a step forward, clamping his hand over his mouth. A trickle of blood escaped from between his fingers as the coughing grew worse. He sank to his knees, legs giving out.

Not caring that it was probably one of the lowest moves she could make, Hinata leapt forward, surprising herself with her ability to move even with her injured leg. The impact of landing was excruciating, but she managed to control herself. Grabbing Itachi's hair, she yanked his head back and swept the kunai down at his throat.

His hand darted up from his side, clamping around her wrist with strength that didn't seem to match his condition. Quickly, she let go of his hair and grabbed his throat. His pulse was erratic, which she hadn't expected. If this were a trick, his heartbeat should have been even. Despite everything that told her to crush the life from the Uchiha while she had the chance, she hesitated.

"It's...more difficult to kill...than most people...think." Itachi rasped. The weakness in his breath only made him sound more menacing. He didn't move, although the blood was still dripping from his lips, and he let his free hand drop to his side. "But I can't let you have...the opportunity."

Hinata pushed the chakra into her eyes with a burst of concentration, and felt her Byakugan spring to life just in time to see Itachi blur as he stood up. Her arm jerked upward, not releasing the grip on his throat. She couldn't help but be distracted at what she had just done. She had activated her Byakugan without a handsign, and she had been able to see Itachi move. Before, she was sure it would have been an instantaneous motion.

Itachi's other hand, the one slick with his blood, reached up and fastened around the wrist that was clutching his neck, while still keeping her kunai hand held tightly. "You...can't kill me."

Hinata's eyes tightened. Confident in her chakra control, she let a spark of chakra emerge sharply from the tenkutsus on her wrist that were in contact with Itachi's hand. He let out a breathy hiss, but only tightened his grip. Hinata responded by restricting his airway further. This was it. She had to kill him. No matter how it made her feel, she just had to do this now while she had the chance.

"No-!" Itachi's Sharingan bore down on her suddenly, and she looked up, lost in the strange sensation she had felt before, when looking into Sasuke's Sharingan.

It was different, this time. Before, it had felt like Sasuke was reaching to her, and their chakras had been entwined comfortably. This time, the sharingan was attacking her. She was being drawn into the Tsukiyomi again, she could feel it. But she was resisting. With Itachi's chakra pulling her mind into the genjutsu, she could feel him feeding off her fears and seeing into her past, but all she could sense from him was a venomous soul and a heart turned to ice.

She couldn't let this happen. No way was Itachi going to trap her again, she didn't want to go through the Tsukiyomi torture. She wouldn't. Releasing the flow of chakra, Hinata sent it flying out towards Itachi in a concentrated beam through her hands, the only part of her that was actually touching him. She felt the one way connection snap, and the multitude of his pain, emotions and memories slammed against her consciousness before she was prepared for them. They were so complex and staggering that she couldn't begin to understand it before Itachi quickly severed the flow of chakra, releasing her from the genjutsu.

Hinata staggered, unable to feel her legs. Itachi's hands grabbed her around her waist, holding her upright but keeping a foot or so of space between them. "It has to be Sasuke." He murmured. Swaying, Hinata slowly forced herself to look up. None of what she had seen made sense to her at all. The insight to Itachi's soul had only reached her on a subconscious level, and she couldn't recall any of it. The only lingering thing she had from the experience was a lessened state of fear. "Sasuke has to be the one to kill me. It can't be you."

She had no idea why this made sense to her, and her puzzlement only brought her frustration back to the surface. "Y-you...f-from the looks of things...y-you won't last much longer a-anyway."

Seemingly relieved that Hinata wasn't trying to attack him anymore, Itachi released her, and Hinata nearly fell over, grabbing onto the tree once again for support. "I'll need to get a hold of some medicine. Unless you'd like to make it for me."

Hinata didn't reply. She clung to the tree, panting heavily. Her gut was telling her to help Itachi, that he was right, and Sasuke had to kill him. She wanted to agree with him, and she was somehow feeling pity towards the murderous Uchiha. Maybe the genjutsu had succeeded in a way. Maybe he had tricked her into feeling pity for him so he could live longer. Because she was suddenly considering helping him. Already her mind was going over the kind of medicine he would need. Some kind of a cough suppressant, and something to help with his breathing. She'd have to know more about what was wrong with him-

"In return, I could teach you genjutsu."

Hinata felt her heartbeat quicken. She couldn't remember what she had seen in his soul-if that was really what had happened-but he had seen into hers. How much had he seen and remembered? Had he seen her kiss Naruto, or felt Sasuke touch her hair? And could she even bring herself to face the Sharingan willingly? She would have to learn both ways; how to inflict genjutsu and how to escape from it.

No. She couldn't help him. She couldn't. Sasuke would never allow this kind of mild doubt to interfere with his goals. And it all must have been related to what he had just done anyway. It had to be some new form of Tsukiyomi or mind altering. She couldn't think of anything that would make her feel anything remotely positive towards the older Uchiha.

"If I were going to kill you, you'd already be dead."

He had to stop talking! She was confused enough as it was without him spouting logical statements that made her consider helping him even more. "Why did you...?"

"The leader wants to transplant your eyes, and use your body to lure the Jinchuuriki to us."

Hinata was really starting to wish she had killed him when she had the chance. She knew even if Naruto was furious with her, he'd come for revenge if she were dead. And the Akatsuki couldn't get a hold of her Byakugan. She was only now realizing how close the situation had been to catastrophic when she had been captured. It didn't quite add up...they certainly didn't need her alive to take out her eyes. There was a window of at least four hours after her death, she knew, before her eyes were unusable. Hinata felt a shiver run up her arms, and she dug her hands into the tree deeper. And why didn't Itachi kill Sasuke? Sasuke was the only reason they got out of there. Really, the only reason she was alive. She owed her life to him so many times over now. Someday, she'd have to repay the favor.

Maybe there _was _some truth in what she was feeling towards Itachi. If he hadn't brought Sasuke in alive too, then...

Itachi hadn't moved the whole time, and when Hinata looked up she could see he was watching her with what seemed to be cold indifference. He wasn't here to kill her, as he had already pointed out. And if he had meant to take her back to Akatsuki...wouldn't he have done that already too? Hinata felt the muscles in her shoulders relax very slightly as she talked herself into being calm. Calm, and alert. That was how a ninja was supposed to be. It could be that Itachi was distracting her, and someone else could be sneaking up from behind.

But her Byakugan was still activated, and she could see a fairly decent distance in almost all directions...there was no one around except her and Itachi.

"You're right not to trust me." Itachi stepped forward, and Hinata's entire body tensed up all over again, ruining the effort it had taken to relax even a small amount. She didn't move away from him, held in place by her own doubt and confusion.

"N-Naruto-kun isn't here!" She couldn't control the volume of her voice, and it came out much louder than she intended. Itachi's eyebrows drew into a frown as he reached up to wipe the remaining blood from his lips. "I l-left Konoha because it was what w-was best for him. For his sake, and for S-Sasuke's...you have to die."

The Uchiha paused, having closed the distance between them. "You hate me." There was no inflection to his voice, but Hinata felt compelled to answer anyway.

"I...y-you've done horrible things...and y-you've...you put the people I love in danger."

"Love isn't enough to save them. In the end, emotions only cloud your view of reality. If you can't see past them, you'll never understand the truth."

"You killed your entire family. Is that the k-kind of truth you live by?"

Itachi lifted one hand, and Hinata reached up, grabbing it before it could touch her face. The Uchiha let out a small huff of air, narrowing his eyes. Hinata glared up at him boldly, trying to make it seem like she wasn't afraid, that the stutter was a speech impediment instead of a blatant display of her anxiety. Why wasn't he using his sharingan again? She felt sure he was hiding something, something important. "You need my help. If I became your enemy-"

"You _are _my enemy!"

Itachi's upper lip curled slightly, frustration suddenly apparent on his face. "The Akatsuki is getting desperate. If they cannot obtain the Jinchuuriki soon, they have secondary plans. There is a jutsu that, if performed properly by an Uchiha, will release the seal the Fourth placed on him. He will destroy himself and his village, and when his own chakra incapacitates him, Akatsuki will still get their way. You are fighting a losing battle. Everyone you care about is going to d-"

Hinata braced her back against the tree, shoving the heel of her palm downward into Itachi's wrist where she still held it. The bone didn't break, but the stifled groan of pain let her know she had probably torn a muscle or two. Half a second later, she threw a punch at the Uchiha's face. Distracted by pain, the blow connected, and once again there was space between them. Her body was shaking with fear, and she felt sickened by what Itachi had just told her. If Naruto ended up killing everyone in Konoha, if he destroyed everything, she didn't think he'd even want to be alive anymore. How close did Itachi have to be to do the jutsu? Sasuke would never do something like that, no matter how detached he was, and there weren't any more Uchihas alive...

Her mind was still slightly cloudy from the strange mix of chakras, but something Itachi had told her in an illusion weeks ago sprang back into conscious thought. She looked at the Uchiha, who was flexing his fingers experimentally, face once again a mask devoid of pain or emotion. _"If an Uchiha and a Hyuuga had a child together..." _Hinata's face lit up instantly, and the more she thought about it the worse her blush became, until she was pretty sure she was giving off a faint red glow. Itachi had to have noticed, he was looking at her, but he didn't say anything. Was _that _why he was here? Did he want to revive the Uchiha clan too? The blush shifted from bright red to scarlet as she thought of Sasuke. Was that what _he..._? No. No, she had to stop thinking about that. She had never blushed quite this badly before, and was surprised she hadn't fainted yet. But the harder she tried not to think about the implications of him telling her that-even in a dream world-the harder it became to drive away the embarrassment.

He could have been lying. He could have been making it up just to scare her.

One thing was for sure. The longer Itachi was here, the longer Naruto was safe.

"W-w-w..." She couldn't look at him, and she was trembling so much it was nearly impossible to talk. Hinata bit down on her tongue until the pain dulled some of the fire in her cheeks, then tried again. "Wait here." He stared at her, blinking slowly. "S-sit down." It could have been her imagination, but she thought she saw a small twitch at the corner of Itachi's mouth. With that, she turned away quickly and limped back inside the compound.

If Sasuke were in her place, nothing else would matter. If his leg were broken, he would move himself through sheer will power, stop at nothing until he was dead, or Itachi was. Naruto wouldn't make a difference to him, protecting Konoha meant nothing. She supposed that was the difference between them. She still had ties to other people. In a tiny corner of her mind, she also knew that there was no way she could really kill Itachi on her own. If, however, she could stall him here until Sasuke returned, then maybe the younger Uchiha would forgive her for what she was going to do.

---

Hinata returned to the clearing forty five minutes later, holding a small pouch in one hand. Itachi was sitting on the ground in the same place she had left him, his eyes half closed. She stopped when she saw him, frowning slightly. He was building and molding his chakra, focusing on regaining his strength. Hinata pulled a kunai from the pouch on her leg and flung it at him. Without opening his eyes, Itachi's hand moved smoothly, catching the knife between two fingers. "What is that?" He turned the weapon, pointing the blade at the pouch Hinata held.

"M-medicine." She hesitated, then tossed it over to him. It landed beside his foot.

Itachi picked it up, removing one of the pills from the inside. There was a brief pause, where Hinata watched him, muscles tense. "Hm. You put your own chakra in these. You couldn't use enough to kill me, or even incapacitate me, or else I wouldn't take them." He flicked his eyes up to her, then slid the pill into his mouth, swallowing it quickly. Hinata blinked, surprised. He had felt the chakra and taken the pill anyway? Almost immediately, what little color there was returned to Itachi's face, and Hinata could feel his chakra triple in the space of a few seconds. She could track him now, wherever he was, but the thought that she had just strengthened him was chilling.

"Take one every three days, until they run out. After that-"

"Sit down."

Hinata didn't move, mostly aware that the Uchiha was probably mocking her on some level. And Itachi could rise from a sitting position much faster than her, with her injured leg. She didn't want to be at any kind of disadvantage. She was getting tired, too. Making the medicine had been trickier than she had anticipated. Itachi didn't wait long before speaking again. "Hm. Why do you want to learn genjutsu?"

"I..." Hinata didn't want to admit that it was so she wouldn't be as helpless against him and Sasuke, but he seemed to guess, an almost nonexistant smirk touching the side of his mouth. Once again, Hinata noticed the resemblance between brothers. How could they have gotten to this point?

"With the Byakugan, you should be able to learn fairly easily, even if you do not have an aptitude for genjutsu, you can learn the basics and be able to repel any minor techniques."

Hinata gave a curt nod to indicate she was listening, but inside she could hardly focus. This was insanity. Itachi had beaten, assaulted, and tortured her. Even if he wasn't a cold hearted murderer, that should have been enough for her to never want to be anywhere near him. The only reason she could justify herself was that she was trying to protect Naruto. Sasuke would have to return eventually, wouldn't he? "There isn't time for you to develop trust for me. If you want to learn, it must be done now. We have one week. And if you remain standing, when you fail, you will fall over anyway."

Slowly, Hinata eased herself onto the ground. "Genjutsu involves using chakra in perfect harmony with the mind..."

---

It went on like this for several days. Hinata was still too afraid to try and break Itachi's genjutsu, so over and over, she would trap him in one of hers. And each time, he would break it in a matter of seconds. The end of the week saw no improvements, at least none that she was aware of. Her leg, however, felt much stronger. She kept the brace on it; hoping that if he did suddenly decide to attack her, he would think she was still incapacitated and underestimate her.

But it didn't seem like Itachi would do that kind of thing. Before having her try the first time, he had drawn a line in the dirt in front of him, telling her he wouldn't cross it. He remained sitting, there in the morning before she got there, and still there when she left at night. He was always calm, emotionless. And the facade never slipped. But the more time she spent with him, the more convinced she was that there was more to his story than he was letting on. Occasionally, she would receive a faint stirring of memory from the overlapping of their bloodlines. She knew the secret, she just couldn't remember it. It was unbelievably frustrating.

She wanted to tell Sasuke...whatever it was. That much she knew. But she also knew that just telling him she had a mild suspicion Itachi might be hiding something wouldn't do anything. She could only guess at what the truth was. What was Itachi thinking? He could usually see into her mind pretty well and guess what she was feeling or if she was lying, but Hinata knew she had never been good at hiding that. She couldn't imagine that Itachi was hiding something that would make Sasuke hate him even more. Then again, why would he hide something good? Itachi kept saying Sasuke had to be the one to kill him. That Sasuke had to avenge his clan. And his unwavering determination on that point only increased her suspicions.

On the afternoon of the seventh day, Itachi stiffened abruptly. He broke her genjutsu with no effort, standing quickly. "Come here, Hinata." She stared at him, slowly standing herself. He wasn't crossing the line-was he trying to show her he kept his word? She approached slowly, a sense of urgency radiating around the Uchiha. "Hit me."

"Wha-?"

"Now!"

Well, she certainly wasn't going to pass up an opportunity like that. Crouching slightly, Hinata forced chakra into her hands and slammed them into Itachi's abdomen. The tenkutsus collapsed where her hands connected, and he was flung backward, taking out two or three trees. He hadn't even tried to fight back, which she wasn't concerned about. The moment she straightened up, she sensed a new presence in the area. Activating her Byakugan without a handsign was possible, but she had discovered it took much more chakra than it should have, so she formed the standard handsigns and looked around. Kisame was standing several yards behind Kisame, his sword strapped to his back. Hinata felt her heartbeat quicken, and a flood of new questions swarmed her mind. Before she could begin to ask them, Itachi was stumbling to his feet. "I'll be back." His tone was unexpectedly menacing, and Hinata flinched, watching him vanish and appear beside Kisame. She couldn't hear them so far away, but they were clearly having a conversation. Both of them looked in her direction, then their chakra spiked and they were gone.

Hinata expected one or both of them to appear beside her and attack her, but after a minute passed, she realized they were gone. It still took another three or four minutes for her to relax completely. Itachi must have been sent after her to kill her or something...and then Kisame came to check up on him. So she had to hit him in order for it to look like he was trying. Hopefully, they wouldn't find the medicine. Not that it would matter. If Itachi was dead, that would solve everyone's problems. _"It has to be Sasuke." _She didn't know why, but she knew he was right. If nothing else, Sasuke needed that closure.

"Hinata."

She spun around quickly, admonishing herself for dropping her guard. It wasn't really necessary though, the moment she heard his voice she felt herself smiling. "Sasuke-kun!" Suddenly not in control of her own body, Hinata flung her arms around the Uchiha's neck and hugged him tightly. He let out a soft grunt of surprise, leaning away a little at first before adjusting and standing still. Just as rapidly as she had lost control, it came flooding back, and Hinata blushed, letting go of him quickly. "S-sorry..."

He blinked, looking at her with bafflement on his face. The moment stretched for an uncomfortable few seconds, while Hinata hoped she wouldn't have to explain herself.

---

"Hn...that's all right." He hadn't expected that sort of a reaction, which wasn't to say that it didn't please him. She had almost seemed _delighted _to see him. Sasuke watched her for a few seconds, watching the pink in her cheeks fade away slowly. She looked awfully pale, even paler than usual, and she was still wearing the leg splint. Maybe delighted wasn't the right word. "Relief" seemed more fitting. But Sasuke stuck stubbornly to "delighted", enjoying the thought that she had missed him.

Because as much as he hated it, as much as he resented the truth, he had barely been able to go one hour without thinking about her in the past week. At first, he had slept without dreams as he always did. But then, two nights ago, that changed. He spent his night engulfed in the memory of her smile, and woke with his hands shaking. He hadn't slept since then, afraid of what his subconscious might try to push on him.

"Uhm...Sasuke-kun...I..." She was fidgeting with her hands, avoiding eye contact with him. Sasuke stared at her, frowning. She flicked her gaze up, and flinched at the intensity of his expression. He tried to soften his face, but gave up just after deciding to.

"What?"

"I...when you were gone..." She seemed very nervous, as if afraid he was going to be angry with her. Sasuke's imagination kicked into overdrive, suspicions of betrayal and Naruto and Itachi and the most unlikely of scenarios whirling through his head. "I...missed...you."

Hah. She _had _missed him. Sasuke reached up, placing both hands on either sides of Hinata's face. Her eyes widened, lavender filling his vision. The Uchiha managed to stop himself, although the place where his hands touched her seemed to be filled with an electric charge. For the first time in his life, he felt desire rush through him. All he could think of was closing the remaining distance between their faces-inches away-and holding her close, feeling her pressed against him. Nothing else mattered, he had never experienced such potent emotions before-so strong, they were almost physical.

Something was wrong, though. Something was keeping him from jumping, from throwing caution to the winds and going for it. Hinata's eyes looked moist, and he realized they were wide with sadness as opposed to excitement or didn't seem like she was really looking at him at all.

"Naruto-kun..."

The name slammed against him with such force that he took a step backward, dropping his hands from her face as if electrocuted. The whirlwind of confusion he had been experiencing moments before was shattered in seconds, before he had even gotten the time to truly explore it. Hinata looked down and away, holding her hands to her chest. She was silent, but her words echoed over and over in his mind. _Naruto. _

His own regression surprised him. Sasuke fell backward so quickly that he wasn't even aware of it happening. All he knew was that suddenly he was back to his old self, back behind layers and layers of coldness and steel, shut off from the world. Cynical, cruel, and uncaring. She was in love with Naruto. He couldn't change that. And he could have had any other girl, that was the most frustrating. His ego had been damaged, but he locked it away behind all his walls, determined not to put it in any position to be hurt again.

"He...I'm so worried about him, Sasuke-kun! I don't like this, I don't like being so far away! If something were to happen, I couldn't get there in time!"

"Even if you were there, what threat could you possibly protect him from?" Sasuke knew his voice was mean, but he couldn't find it in himself to be kind.

Hinata looked surprised, and slightly hurt. "I'd rather die with him than live without him." A light breeze picked up, lifting Hinata's hair from her face. She lifted her chin, determination etched into her face. "I'm going back to Konoha, Sasuke. I'm...I'm sorry."

_No! Stay! _

"Fine. Whatever." He shrugged, turning away from her. He was acutely aware of her standing behind him now, not moving.

"Sasuke-kun..."

He didn't care, anyway. This entire situation was purely ridiculous. Sasuke started to walk away, not wanting to watch her leave. He didn't want her to think it mattered to him where she went or what she did. He headed towards the compound's front door, but just before reaching it, Hinata appeared in front of him. "How-?" Without warning, Hinata grabbed his shoulders and stared into his eyes. He barely had time to brace himself before the genjutsu swept over him.

Sasuke didn't need very long to figure out how weak the jutsu really was. It didn't even completely block his vision. All it took was a little focusing, and he could see through the patches of gray and black. The Uchiha sighed, expelling a wave of concentration. Hinata winced, and the genjutsu broke. He reached past her, taking hold of the doorknob. "Sasuke-kun," Hinata grabbed his wrist. "I'm not abandoning you. Your future and Naruto's are linked! Y-you have to know that! Come back with me."

He hadn't been expecting that. And the thought of staying here alone, or going back to Orochimaru once again, was near terrifying. He was getting tired of his solitude. For now...it couldn't hurt. "I wouldn't be able to stay long. Tsunade can't know. Only you, Sakura, and-"

"and Naruto-kun." Hinata smiled. Sasuke found himself smiling back.

"Right."

* * *

"Naruto? Come on, answer the door!" There was no mistaking her voice, but Naruto didn't bother getting up. Sakura would just burst in in a few seconds anyway. Life had dulled for him lately. He hadn't ever had a relationship before, not a real defined one, anyway...but he didn't understand how he had screwed it up so fast. Hinata said it was the Kyuubi...and he had understood. Of course he had. He wouldn't trust himself either. Especially after he had lost control like that when he was kissing her.

Sure enough, the door came crashing down, Sakura having kicked it off it's hinges. Naruto felt a flicker of grumpiness. He had just gotten a new apartment, and here she was, destroying it. Sakura was smiling, apparently hoping her antics would bring a laugh out of him. He looked away from her, at the ramen bowl in front of him.

Sakura came to sit by him, sighing. "Okay...we gave you some time, but Tsunade-sama says it's time to get you back out on missions and stuff."

Naruto didn't reply. For the first time, he was just wishing Sakura would go away.

"Naruto!" Sakura smacked the back of his head with her open palm. He scowled, rubbing his head and grumbling under his breath. "Everyone breaks up! It's time to get over it!"

"It doesn't make sense, Sakura-chan! Hinata...Hinata would _never _call me a monster!" And suddenly, it clicked. He repeated himself, tasting the words and savoring them. "Never call me a monster..." Naruto jumped to his feet, eyes alight with newfound hope. "It wasn't her! Her sister gave me the note! I didn't even see Hinata! What if it was some kind of misunderstanding?! I have to find her." He pushed past Sakura, racing out of his house.

"Wha-?! Wait up, Naruto!" Sakura darted after him, but he didn't notice, making his way directly to the Hyuuga compound. The gate was locked, but that didn't deter his enthusiasm. Naruto pounded on the gate for a good five minutes before someone opened it. Naruto nearly punched Neji in the face, but luckily the Hyuuga caught his hand.

"Naruto? What is it?"

"Where's Hinata? I have to talk to her!"

Neji frowned. "Hinata's been gone for over a week."

Naruto stared, the words entering his brain but not sinking in. "Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Neji glanced over his shoulder as Hiashi walked into view, disapproval plain on his face. Naruto ignored that. He was used to disapproval. "Where is she? Where's Hinata?"

"I think you should leave, Naruto." Hiashi sounded stern and hateful, but Naruto was only growing more determined.

Sakura grabbed his arm. "Naruto, I don't sense her. She really isn't here."

"But-!"

"Come _on_, let's just go!" Sakura towed him away from the compound, and Naruto yanked his arm away, frustrated.

"Why would she leave?"

"I don't know, Naruto."

"This proves it, though! She wouldn't have left a note like that and then just leave!"

"Probably not."

"The note said 'don't come talk to me'! She wouldn't have put that if she was going to leave!"

"Naruto-"

"Yeah! We should ask Hanari if she knows anything about it! Err...Hanami. Hanabi? Whatever." Naruto whirled around, intending to go back to the Hyuuga estate. Sakura grabbed him again.

"Naruto, she saw us!"

"Huh? Who saw what?"

"Hinata. That night after you got the note...I...I sensed her outside. I was about to say something, but she left really quickly."

Naruto blinked. "Saw..." He understood Hinata's point of view quite abruptly, and his brain was starting to hurt from the multitude of epiphanies he was experiencing. Two in one day was a lot. "Why didn't you say something later?" He couldn't find it in himself to be angry with Sakura. Not yet, anyway.

"I didn't think she left the _village_! And I guess I just...assumed she was making sure you got the letter."

Naruto frowned. That didn't make sense. Sakura deliberately made sure she didn't tell him. He just didn't know why. Slowly, he made his way back to his apartment. Sakura hurried to walk beside him, apologizing repeatedly. He wasn't listening, until they reached his broken door. "Wait, Naruto..." She was whispering suddenly, which made him pay attention. "Someone's in there. They've got their chakra masked."

Naruto pulled out a kunai, tense, and hurried inside, Sakura right behind him.

"Sasuke-kun!!"

"Hinata..."

Naruto dropped the kunai.

* * *

**Author: Aw...am I mean? I think I may be. I waited so long to update...and then did the whole mild cliffhanger thing. SORRY! I have ten days of school left before I graduate, but hopefully I'll get the next chapter out before then. Thank you for reading!  
**


	14. Death

Hinata! It was Hinata, right here in front of him! And...Naruto turned his gaze to the person beside her, standing a little in front of the Hyuuga.

"Sasuke...!" Naruto rushed forward, and felt his emotions twist abruptly. He threw a punch at the other boy's face, taking the jarring impact of his knuckles as satisfaction rather than pain. He heard Sakura yell at him to stop, but it wasn't really necessary. Sasuke was fighting back, trying to get away and hit him a little at the same time. He felt a pair of hands on his arm, catching his wrist before he could land another punch. Without thinking, he jerked his arm around, only to hear a sharp gasp of pain. He whirled around, blinking as Hinata drew her hands away, rubbing her palm gingerly with a slight frown on her face. "Oh, Hinata, I-!" He started to get up, but Sasuke was there first, standing between him and the Hyuuga with his back to Naruto. Naruto stared at him blankly, arms loose at his sides.

"Is it broken?" His voice was almost inaudible, and at first Naruto assumed he was just imagining it. Then he saw Sakura at his side, trying to disguise a look of surprise. Hinata shook her head, then smiled at Naruto. He felt a sense of relief lift from his soul, and grinned back at her. She blushed.

"Hinata!" He started to move forward, wanting nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and make sure she was real. Sasuke turned around, narrowing his eyes. The expression stopped him. Why was he...glaring? He didn't do anything wrong. Naruto glared back, and he heard Sakura move, darting around him to throw herself on Sasuke, clinging to him. Naruto sighed. _'Yeah, I'm fine, Sakura, thanks for asking.'_

Sasuke looked uncomfortable, but he tolerated Sakura, who was crying a little. "Are you back for good? Why are you here?"

Naruto looked away from the two, back to Hinata, who was flexing her fingers. He felt a pang of guilt. Seeing Sasuke always threw him into an emotional turmoil. At first, he was just happy, then he remembered all the craziness Sasuke had put him through and the happiness somehow morphed into anger. But he _was _back. And Hinata had come with him. Slowly, Naruto felt the grin returning to his face. "Hinata, did you...?"

_"And...Hinata? Bring Sasuke back to Konoha...please..."_

She had! She had brought him back! For him! Unable to contain himself, Naruto burst forward, grabbing Hinata's shoulders and yanking her forward. He caught a single glimpse of her starting to blush before he had her held tightly against him with his face in her hair. "Thank you, Hina-"

"N-Naruto-kun!" She was squirming in his arms, which wasn't entirely unusual, except that when she had done that in the past it was because she was fainting. Was he constricting her or something? He pulled back to look at her face. _She looks...unhappy._

"What is it?"

"I...I'm sorry!" She pulled away quickly, rushing past Sakura-who was still glued to Sasuke-and disappearing out the door.

"Wha-?"

Sakura looked at Naruto, while Sasuke untangled her arms from around his waist. "Naruto, I need to talk to you." He rubbed his jaw, where a small but dark bruise was slowly appearing. Naruto could feel bruises of his own appearing on his stomach and chest, but didn't have any on his face.

"Sasuke-kun, I can heal that for you-"

"Save your chakra." Sasuke waited a few seconds, gaze focused on the door Hinata had rushed out. "I heard something snap when dobe hit Hinata's hand."

Naruto let out a small huff. "Fine, I'll go-"

"If she wanted _your_ help she wouldn't have run off." Sasuke turned his harsh expression on Sakura, who frowned then scampered off after the other kunoichi.

Naruto spent several seconds floundering around in his own head, trying to get a grasp on what he was feeling and what was going on. The door swung shut behind him with a quiet snap, then he couldn't contain himself anymore. "Where have you been? Why are you back? How long are you staying? What happened to Orochimaru-is Itachi-?"

"Be quiet, Naruto. I'm not back, not really."

Naruto blinked. This was a strange illusion, if he wasn't here.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm _here, _I'm just not staying."

Naruto grumbled under his breath. "Then why...?"

"It's practical to be near you, for a little while. Itachi is hunting you, you have to realize that. And the next time he shows up, I'll be ready."

"That's all? You could've said that in front of Sakura." Naruto felt proud of himself for knowing why Sasuke had sent her away...unless...the blond frowned, watching Sasuke's expression shift briefly. He wasn't _actually _concerned about Hinata, was he? They had both been gone a while, had they been together the whole time? Alone? What had they been doing? "No way! Stay away from her, Sasuke!" Naruto leapt forward, grabbing the front of Sasuke's shirt. _'Stupid Uchiha...having his clothes hanging open just to show off.'_ Sasuke grabbed his wrists, glaring back at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Hinata! You're...why are you so protective of her? What's going on with the two of you?!"

"Nothing, Naruto! She's still in love with you, don't worry." He sounded bored and moderately irritated. Naruto blinked, puzzled.

"Huh?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes again. Naruto ground his teeth. He knew he wasn't too bright, but Hinata wasn't in _love_ with him. That was just plain... "God, you're dumb." Sasuke yanked away from Naruto, who let his arms flop to his sides. He muttered something like, 'don't deserve her...' but Naruto wasn't really listening.

"She...loves me?" She did? Really? Even after seeing him with Sakura and stuff? Naruto felt the grin growing on his face, not noticing the scowl developing on Sasuke's. "I have to go find her!" Leaving the Uchiha behind, Naruto spun around and darted outside, realizing somewhere in the back of his mind that he was leaving Sasuke to find Hinata. The thought stopped him in the doorway, and he blinked. Did she...mean more to him than Sasuke? He turned around, frowning at his best friend.

"Tch. Dobe..." Sasuke formed a handsign and vanished, leaving Naruto alone.

* * *

"Hinata! Hold on, wait..." Sakura had to run to catch up to the other kunoichi, and reached out carefully to grab her uninjured hand. Hinata turned to face her, meeting her gaze squarely, which she hadn't expected. Hinata hardly ever made eye contact, especially in a potentially confrontational situation. "Here, let me heal your hand."

"It's not broken, Sakura. It'll probably just bruise."

Sakura blinked, then let go of her. "Oh, all right."

"I'm just...I think I'm going to go see if I can stay at Ino's house for a little while."

"Why not your house?"

Hinata frowned a little, making Sakura feel like she was prying. "Well, my Tousan will be very angry with me for leaving. And if I need to leave again, he won't let me. Besides, I told Sasuke I wouldn't let anyone know we were here."

Why was she talking about them like they were a unit? Sakura smothered the jealousy in her chest. Hinata loved Naruto, that was obvious. Still, she couldn't help herself. "How'd you do it, Hinata? How'd you get Sasuke to come home?"

Hinata blinked, and a tiny bit of pink colored her cheeks. "Uhm..I-I don't really know. I j-just...told him I was leaving, and that he should be back too, because he and Naruto were linked...and he agreed."

Sakura frowned. Sasuke already knew that, didn't he? How long had Hinata been out there with Sasuke? "What happened when you two were out there together?"

The blush intensified, but Hinata lifted her chin, speaking sharply enough that Sakura nearly took a step back. "Nothing, Sakura. I was only trying to protect Naruto-kun." She started to turn away, then paused, frowning. Her eyes widened abruptly, and she dove forward at Sakura, who threw up her arms to protect herself, thinking she was being attacked. As the two fell, she was aware of several kunai flying over the spot where her head and neck had previously been. Hinata released her quickly, and Sakura rolled over, looking up for their attacker.

He was Akatsuki, but that was all she could guess. She had never seen him before. He (or she, it was impossible to tell) was wearing an orange mask with a swirling pattern that focused over their right eye, and the seemingly standard black cloak with red clouds. He was crouched on a lamppost, arms resting on his thighs. "Yo, Konoha people." His voice made it clear that he was in fact male. "Or more specifically, uhm, you." He pointed just to Sakura's left, at Hinata.

Sakura looked over at the other girl, who seemed just as confused as she did.

"Do you know where Itachi is?"

"N-no, how would I?"

The Akatsuki let out a sigh, his shoulders drooping. "I was watching him teach you genjutsu, or try to, anyway. He came back with Kisame, then left again and I haven't seen him since."

Sakura stood quickly, moving a little in front of Hinata. What was this guy talking about? Hinata had met Itachi? And just...sat there in a civil manner with him? What, was he her _sensei _now? That was ridiculous! And if it were true...

xxx

Hinata felt her heart flutter with fear. He had seen her with Itachi? Seen her very clearly _not _trying to kill him? If he told Sasuke, what would he think? The fear built, growing and snowballing until she experienced a sharp stab of panic. Itachi was missing?! What if he was going after Naruto? A low chuckle that sounded more like a giggle radiated from the Akatsuki.

"See, what I'm worried most about, is that the plan was to destroy Konoha using the Kyuubi. Uchihas have an eye technique that can release the seal on the Jinchuuriki. I decided to postpone the plan, but if Itachi's gone AWAL..."

Hinata was sure her heart stopped. She already knew about this, of course, but hearing him say it made it that much more real. Was it going to happen now? Was Itachi doing it right this second? Suddenly, the Akatsuki vanished, reappearing directly in front of her. She was too nervous to move, although she was aware of Sakura leaping forward to get between them. The Akatsuki just leaned around the pink haired kunoichi, doing that strange giggle again.

"If you see Itachi, do let me know, won't you?" Without a hint of chakra, he was completely gone.

"S-Sakura...are you okay?" The other girl still had her back to Hinata, but turned around slowly, frowning.

"You met Itachi? Sasuke-kun's brother?"

"It...it was complicated."

"Does Sasuke know?"

"N-no...I don't know how to explain it myself, and there's nothing I could tell Sasuke that would help him or make him feel better."

"We should go find Itachi ourselves."

Hinata blinked. "Sakura-san, I don't think Sasuke would appreciate anyone else killing Itachi for him, even if we were to somehow succeed-"

Sakura clenched her hands into fists, interrupting. "What is it, Hinata? What's happened between the two of you that he...he trusts you? Why does he trust you? Why does he...care about you?"

"I..." Sakura clearly still had feelings for Sasuke, and Hinata didn't want her to get the wrong impression or create any tension between them. She had always considered Sakura something of a friend. "It's nothing, Sakura. I followed him, because I was trying to protect Naruto. He tolerated it, my presence, because for a while...Itachi...I think he thought it was amusing to frighten me and to threaten me. Because Itachi was close to me, Sasuke thought it would be easier to allow me to be near him. You've known him much longer than I have. He cares about you a lot, I know he does."

Sakura took all this in silently, then nodded. "Sorry. I just...I missed him a lot. And you can stay at my house, Hinata. I'm living alone these days, and you know I won't tell anyone about you or Sasuke being back."

Hinata felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders. "Thank you, Sakura."

* * *

"Kakashi." Sasuke wasn't entirely surprised that his former sensei was asleep. Nor was he shocked at the open "Make Out Paradise" book on his stomach. The Jounin didn't move, his chest rising and falling steadily. Sasuke glanced at Kakashi's mask, feeling an old spark of curiosity. He seemed pretty asleep...what the hell. Sasuke reached out, pinching the fabric of the mask very carefully between two fingers, then began to pull it down slowly.

Kakashi's hand snapped up, fastening around Sasuke's wrist. He opened his non-Sharingan eye, which then widened in surprise. "Sasuke..."

Quickly, the Uchiha pulled his hand back, wishing he hadn't been caught. "I can't stay, Kakashi. I already visited Naruto. ...I'm planning my next step."

Kakashi sat upright, the book falling off his lap. He caught it before it could hit the ground, placing it with a small amount of reverence on his bedside table. Sasuke guessed it was a special edition or autographed or something stupid like that. "Your next step? Being..."

"The death of Itachi Uchiha."

Kakashi didn't react right away, and Sasuke felt a little grateful. He had been partly worried that Kakashi would try to stop him. Not that he would have been successful, but it wouldn't have been helpful to his purpose for coming to see him. "You're saying goodbye, aren't you? That's why you decided to visit one last time."

Sasuke looked at the cover of the book, wondering idly what it's draw could possibly be. "...Yes. I would have preffered not to have to speak to Naruto or Sakura at all..."

"Sasuke, if you think this battle will kill you, maybe-"

"I have to do it. I'm so close, I can't possibly give up now. Once I leave here, I'll have to face down Orochimaru, and then..."

Kakashi nodded, as if he understood. "And you really wanted to say goodbye to me as well? Or was there something else?"

"It's...Hinata. I...was wondering, if you had the time, if you could try to train her."

"Hinata Hyuuga?"

"Yes."

Kakashi blinked, but otherwise remained impassive. "...I'll do what I can."

"...Thank you, Kakashi." Sasuke turned away quickly, feeling for the first time a spasm of fear. If he left now...if he never saw Hinata again...it made his fingers tremble, so he curled them into fists to disguise the movement, and slipped out the window the way he had come in. It was getting dark outside, so he made his way quickly to Naruto's house.

He found Sakura and Hinata there as well, and felt a small rush of adrenaline when Hinata looked at him. "Sasuke-kun!" Sakura stood up, rushing over to him. He opened his arms a little out of habit, or else she would pin them to his sides. Naruto stood too, looking slightly confused. Sasuke met Hinata's gaze squarely, forcing himself to confront the excitement in his system when he thought about her, when he was around her.

"Sasuke, Hinata and Sakura were attacked by an Akatsuki an hour ago." Naruto moved across the room, closing the door behind Sasuke. He frowned, taking his gaze away from Hinata to look at the blond.

"Who was it? What did he want?"

"He...he sort of threatened Naruto. He said Itachi was missing, and that...there's some sort of jutsu that will release the Kyuubi." Sasuke focused on Naruto, trying to read his expression. He looked nervous, but not afraid. Sakura spoke again. "Is it true, Sasuke? Is there such a jutsu?"

Sasuke wasn't sure how much to say. In a little while, he'd be the only Uchiha alive, so their clan secrets were hardly worth protecting. Nevertheless...he felt compelled to keep some of it confidential. "I can't say exactly, but...I should find Itachi as soon as possible."

"There's no point in going after him tonight. You must be exhausted, aren't you?" Naruto jerked his head towards the hallway. "I've got enough room...maybe we should all stay here tonight."

Sasuke didn't reply. Instead, he crossed the room and sat on the couch next to Hinata, keeping a safe distance of at least thirteen inches between them. He could still feel an unignorable heat between them, and scooted over to the other side. "I...I want to go train." Hinata jumped to her feet, nearly tripping over herself in the process. It took Sasuke some effort to hide his disappointment.

"I'll go with you." Naruto got up, and although Hinata looked like she might have wanted to tell him to stay, she didn't, and left quickly with Naruto right behind her.

Sakura was silent when she walked over and sat on the coffee table in front of him, her eyes downcast and a frown very visible on her face. "Sasuke-kun...I...are you just going to leave us again?"

Sasuke tried not to groan. She always made him feel positively rotten about himself, and the way he treated her. He just couldn't think of a better way. "It's for the best, Sakura. It's never been your fault."

"Do you...do you really feel nothing for me?"

Her voice was breaking. It didn't help that she was lower than him, almost...begging. It would be so simple to just lie to her, to tell her what she wanted to hear. Why _couldn't _it be her? Hinata was in love with Naruto, Sakura was in love with him...what did he feel for Hinata? It was more than what he felt for Sakura, that was for sure. He suddenly felt a wild rush of desire, wishing he felt for Hinata was what he felt for Sakura. She wasn't ugly, no matter what Ino said. And she would do anything for him. She was strong, and she cared about the people close to her.

But Hinata...cared about everyone. She was kind to the point of foolishness, and would die without a moment's hesitation for Naruto, at the very least. And her devotion for him never wavered. She seemed capable of a wild, reckless kind of compassion that he couldn't even imagine. He wished he could revel in it with her, if only she felt the same way.

And she had the potential to be a thousand times stronger than Sakura, just not the motivation. Or maybe she was lacking the proper inspiration. Sasuke never wondered if he expected too much out of her, he knew she was capable of greatness. And she wasn't concerned with his appearance or his bloodline. He knew she probably even resented him a little for it-she seemed to resent her own.

Two options...

"Sakura." He took her face in her hands. It was time to end this. He leaned down, seeing the rush of love and hope in her eyes...

* * *

Naruto was silent. Hinata was kind of glad, but at the same time felt guilty. She loved nothing more than his voice, than his happiness. And right now, he was unhappy. Because of her. "N-Naruto-kun...I...I think we should talk."

The blond nodded, sitting down on a bench and leaning back, watching her. She sat beside him. "I...I saw you and Sakura. The night I left Konoha."

"Yeah, she told me. Hinata, that...the note you wrote me, I never got it! I swear, I think your father or someone switched! The one I got was just a bunch of stuff about how I was a monster and how you...you could never trust me."

Hinata felt a stab of pain. No wonder he hadn't...and how could her father have done that too her? A strange sort of anxious relief made her tremble. She grabbed his hand. "No! I would never say that! You...you frightened me a little, when the Kyuubi came out, but I...I would never do anything like that."

"So you...do you still like me?"

I love you! The words were bursting in her chest, but she couldn't bring herself to say them. Once they were out, they could never go back. "Y-yes. Of course." She smiled, feeling the small rush of blood in her cheeks.

"Hinata, I'm so sorry, about Sakura. She knew I was upset, and she brought over sake, and we...it's no excuse, but I wasn't thinking!"

...Sakura. The smile and blush vanished all at once. "Naruto-kun...how...how far did you...with Sakura?"

Naruto's voice grew anxious. "I'm not...totally sure. That night is kind of a blur, but I-"

Hinata stood. "Naruto-kun, if Sakura came to you tonight and told you she...she loved you...would you be with her?" The words spilled out before she could stop them, and immediately she wished she could rewind time. But now she could only wait, watch the confusion on Naruto's face grow into an expression of...guilt. Sympathy. Hinata's breath hitched in her throat. "You...you love her-!"

"Hinata, wait!" Naruto stood too, reaching out and grabbing her shoulders. "She doesn't feel that way towards me, Hinata, it's okay!"

Hinata clamped her eyes shut. That was the only thing stopping her. She was second to Sakura? She could feel her heart breaking, shattering and collapsing in on itself. The Hyuuga smacked Naruto's arms away, throat painfully tight and eyes stinging while images of Naruto and Sakura assaulted her mind. She whirled away from him, sprinting down the street.

"Don't cry, don't cry..." Hinata forced the tears back over and over, sprinting up to the training grounds near the forest. She had been intending on finding a place open enough to sit down and...well, sob. But the wetness clouded her vision, and she ended up running right into what she thought was a tree. Upon closer inspection and looking up, Hinata felt her emotions fill up and spill over. She didn't think, just threw her arms around Itachi's waist and buried her face in his chest, letting it all out.

There was just something about Uchihas that made her feel like it was okay to cry.

Hinata gripped his shirt, almost fascinated as her tears stained the fabric. After all this, everything she had gone through for Naruto, how could he...how could he still not love her? He wasn't that stupid! She knew he wasn't!

xxx

Itachi looked down, completely baffled. She hadn't grown to trust him that quickly, had she? No...she was crying. He couldn't help but wonder why, no matter how detached he tried to make himself. He was quickly retreating into his own mind, trying to protect himself from the humanity that was threatening to expose itself. Despite his precautions, his arms wrapped loosely around the girl's shoulders, one hand stroking her hair gently.

It seemed so perverse that she was unhappy. She was too good for that. Bitterness poked through. The good ones, the happy ones, were always the ones fate decided to go after. He wondered if he was helping at all, standing here like this while she cried on him. He couldn't imagine how. He wasn't human anymore, and she probably needed someone beyond normal to make her feel complete.

Itachi stooped slightly-she was much shorter than him-and lifted her in his arms. She didn't seem to mind, which surprised him. Carefully, he carried her away from the edge of the forest, sitting down in a patch of clovers. Then he shifted, holding her more securely against his chest. He felt an unexplainable urge to protect her. She reminded him of the happiness that he might have had, if the universe had only been a little kinder to him.

If only, if only. "Hinata." Itachi touched her chin lightly, her frailty was unnerving. "Akatsuki will be moving in on Konoha. I don't know exactly when, but it will be soon."

She sniffed, lavender eyes wide. But there was a strange trust in them. What could he have possibly done...? How much did she remember, from the insight into his soul and his past? He had a theory about why and how that had happened, which was why his Sharingan was inactive. He didn't want to take any risks. If she remembered too much, would she tell Sasuke?

"You...you're s-saying I shouldn't follow Sasuke, when he...when he goes to kill you."

Itachi nodded. "If he survives...please come find him."

Hinata had started shaking, and her hair had a light layer of moisture on it. Itachi blinked, looking up. It had started to rain, and he hadn't even noticed. He pulled off his cloak and draped it around her, pulling the collar up so it draped over her face. She made a small 'squeak' noise that was so small and pathetic that he let out a low chuckle, lifting the front of the cloak to see her face clearly. She stared at him, looking afraid of the smile on his face.

It faded quickly when she spoke. "Do...you have to fight? Do you have to die? I don't...I don't really understand, but...it doesn't feel right."

Itachi reached out, touching her hand. She was the only person to show him any sort of compassion in years...part of him hated her for it. "Would you do me another favor?" She didn't answer, so he continued. "Stay with me, for a little while." Just one night of humanity, before he died. Itachi worried that knowing true kindness and caring would make what he had to do even harder, but if he was going to face his brother, he needed it more than he was afraid of it.

Hinata scooted closer to him, and Itachi wrapped one arm around her shoulders in an attempt to keep her from getting cold. The rain was light, so he may have been partly successful. She looked up at him, and he felt a shuddering inside him, the wall that separated monster and man trembled. He didn't want her to leave him. Why couldn't she join him, wait for him on the other side of whatever lay opposite life? Itachi lifted one hand, placing his thumb against her jugular. She didn't flinch, didn't seem afraid. He could feel her pulse. It was elevated, but steady.

Itachi leaned down, willing himself to snap. He wanted to give his body over to his inner darkness, because whatever was left of his soul didn't have the will to take her life. Abruptly, he could feel it. The monster was waking up, and he had only a moment before he would break her neck, or feel her blood on his hands...

He pulled her face to his, feeling her lips set against his. The shock came when she kissed him back. Maybe she had seen it in his eyes, seen the desperation and the panic, the need for a reminder of life and love. The Uchiha pushed his hands back, gripping her hair and holding her close. She didn't fight him, even leaned a little closer, placing one hand on his chest. Her warmth, and the vitality of her heartbeat were so powerful that it made him feel as if he were already dead, and merely walking the earth in borrowed flesh.

The taste of her was overwhelming. Itachi slid one arm down around her waist, pulling her onto his lap. He could feel her soft palms on his neck, moving up to cradle his face. The monster in him pulled back, slid far into the depths of his soul, and left only an emptiness behind. Itachi broke away from her, but didn't let go.

She looked at him, the rain dripping from her chin and hair onto the collar of his Akatsuki cloak. It swallowed her, making her look much younger than sixteen. Itachi was aware of the emptiness, of the hollow mask he had adopted all those years ago. But it was different. There was a flicker of warmth in the cold, a reason to live.

And maybe, if his soul wasn't already damned and broken beyond repair, this girl could have saved him. Itachi knew that if he tried now...he would end up dragging her down with him. He couldn't bear to watch her be destroyed, and refused to be the cause of it. He was already dead, and she was just starting to live. "Take care of Sasuke for me." He murmured.

Hinata only looked afraid then, and he pondered the reason. "I don't think I could ever find it in myself to kill him, Hinata." That seemed to alleviate her fears. She nodded twice, slowly. Then she stood and pulled the cloak off. He watched her, thankful for the numbness, because he knew if he retained any more of his humanity, he would be feeling sad and afraid for himself. Instead, he was only tired. Hinata reached into the cloak, finding a piece of the seam, and tore off a small piece of cloth.

"In another time, another life...I think I...I could have helped you." She whispered, closing the cloth in her fist. "I'm sorry, Itachi." She leaned in, pressing her lips lightly to Itachi's forehead. He closed his eyes as she lay the cloak across his lap, memorizing the kindness and sorrow in her eyes. He would hold onto that, until the moment he faced Sasuke. When that happened...it would take every piece of the monster he had inside him to fight his younger brother. To do what must be done.

When he opened his eyes, she was gone.

* * *

"Hinata, I..." Naruto felt his heart sink, watching her vanish around the corner. He...he had really screwed it up this time. That hadn't come out right. He loved Sakura, but not like Hinata thought. She was pretty, he had a crush on her, yeah, but...when he was with Hinata, he forgot all about that. Hinata outshined Sakura in his mind, and in his heart. He just couldn't find the right way to say it.

* * *

**Author: I stayed up until 11 tonight cranking out another 4,000 words to get this chapter out. I really hope you guys like it! And Itachi's situation...well, to me, it was horribly tragic and I definitely sense a possible side story or oneshot there, but it might be better to leave it to your imagination.  
**

**On a side note, this story is coming to an end, but I have most of a sequel planned out, and it will definitely contain more SasukexHinata. I would have rather had it in this story, but it would have gotten much too long. I never intended to have so much NarutoxHinata and ItachixHinata, the story just kind of took on a life of it's own. But I've had a real blasty blast with all the drama and the darkness of Itachi. So...we'll just have to see what happens!  
**


	15. Goodbye

"Sakura." Sasuke began to feel the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his lips before he froze. All of this, these feelings he was having, the kinship he felt for Naruto and the more complex feelings he had for Sakura...they were coming back. They were faint, but they were there. The bonds were returning, and he was letting it happen. And as the more pleasant, wholesome bonds returned, his hatred for Itachi was receeding. The realization sent him crashing downward, and he felt his face stiffen reflexively. A vague part of him was aware of the worry growing in Sakura's eyes, her face in such close proximity to his. The rest of him was quickly tearing away from all the emotions he had so recently rediscovered.

And just as quickly, the hatred was coming back. He hadn't really been eliminating it at all, just repressing it. It filled him with a newfound anger and determination, he had been wasting his time here! A single thought played itself over and over in his head..._What are you doing?!_ He thought there may have been a way to rid Sakura of her memories of him, and Naruto and Kakashi and...the others, as well, but a bitter voice in his head told him it was a waste of chakra.

He stood aprubtly, ignoring Sakura when she called after him and grabbed his katana from where it leaned against the couch. Before she had time to try and stop him, he pushed chakra into his feet and leaped up onto the roof, racing out to Konoha's wall. Memories of his parents and his clan and his family that he had been allowing fragile friendships to overshadow flooded his mind, and Sasuke shoved everything meaningless away, regretting everything he had done in the past few weeks. _Waste of time..._

He dropped down from Konoha's wall, pausing for just a moment. He could sense her, nearby. With someone else. Activating his sharingan, Sasuke crept forward slowly, silently, recognizing the two chakras instantly. Part of him didn't want to know why he wasn't hearing any conversation, and part of him just wanted to see them one last time. He hadn't been able to face Sakura, not after the way she had reacted the last time he had left. It had almost made him think twice. All of them made him hesitate, and hesitation was something he couldn't afford. Itachi had certainly never hesitated. He stopped moving, intending to turn around and just keep going. Last he had heard, Orochimaru was intending to pursue the 3 tails Bijuu, and he knew he'd have to be around for that.

But he had gone too far, and he could see them. Hinata, with her arms wrapped around Naruto's neck and his arms around her waist, pressed together in an intimate embrace. Her head was resting on his shoulder and her eyes were closed. Sasuke felt his teeth clench together. He was self-destructive, he was sure of it. The one girl who didn't have feelings for him was the one he decided to become attached to...he had probably done it on purpose. She loved Naruto, of course she did. He knew that. Hell, everyone knew that.

It was Itachi, he was the reason Sasuke couldn't stay. He was the reason Sasuke hadn't been able to close the distance between his lips and Sakura's, why he couldn't just be there for Naruto and try to move on. He didn't want to move on. He had to kill Itachi, he _would _kill Itachi, and he would get the answers he needed.

Hinata opened her eyes, and they focused in his direction, but he was already gone. He didn't think she saw him.

* * *

Hinata stumbled away from the place she had left Itachi. This was all so...insane. Her hands were still trembling from the intensity of her encounter with the older Uchiha, and she knew that she would likely never see him again. And it all felt so wrong. This fight between him and Sasuke, the way that it all was going to end, it seemed so perverse and tragic. The most frustrating thing was that she hadn't the faintest idea why she felt this way. There was no logic behind her feelings, only an intuition that came from the crossing of her Byakugan and Itachi's Sharingan. She was sure that Sharingan and Byakugan had met in battle hundreds of times before, so why did these strange things happen between hers and Sasuke's and Itachi's? She could only begin to guess, she would need more insight before she was sure or could form an actual theory.

She knew quite a lot about the Byakugan now, more than Neji because of the privelage of being born in the "right" part of her clan. So she needed to know more about the Sharingan. A disturbance of chakra broke her thought pattern, and she stopped walking. Itachi was gone now, she could tell. The trembling in her hands had escalated until her entire body was quivering. She tucked the piece of cloth from Itachi's cloak into her pocket, dropping to her knees.

This was definitely too much. It didn't even feel like it was her business. Hinata felt as if she was living in a dream, in someone else's life, in another universe. The cold air and the wetness from the rain was helpful, it kept her thoughts sharp and together so she didn't break down. Then, a laugh choked out of her throat when she sensed someone approaching. Hinata stood up slowly, sniffling and wiping the rain from her eyes.

She knew it was Naruto before he called out her name, before she even saw her. Knowing that he was there made things complete, somehow sewing things into place and making her feel warm and uplifted. She rushed forward through the trees, looking for his bright blue eyes...

His face broke into a surprised, hesitant smile when he saw her, and for the first time she didn't feel any shred of embarassment. Right now, she was going to forget the doubts she had about him and Sakura. All that mattered was the two of them. He wanted her, and she loved him. Hinata flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "Naruto-kun..." Before he could speak, she pressed her lips against his ear. "No matter what happens, I want you to know that I'll always be here for you, and I'll always fight for you." She felt adult and mature murmuring the words, and confident as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Hinata-chan..." But she just hugged him tighter, not wanting him to say anything that might ruin the moment. With a content sigh, she laid her head on his shoulder, eyes closed. They stayed that way for several moments until she felt something deep in her heart, a painful twinge that seemed to radiate from outside of her. She opened her eyes in time to catch a glimpse of a pair of red eyes that brought her no fear. But the expression on Sasuke's face made her gasp, breaking away from Naruto and starting to move towards where she had seen him.

As soon as she had seen him, he had vanished. She wondered if he had been there at all.

"Hinata? Are you okay?" Naruto touched her arm lightly, but she barely felt it.

What was that? She couldn't remember ever seeing so much emotion on Sasuke's face before, even in the years before she had spoken to him. So much pain, and so much hatred. She had no idea how much he was truly hiding.

"Sasuke?!" Hinata and Naruto turned to look at the place Sakura's voice originated from just as she burst through the trees, tears in her eyes.

"H-he was just here." Hinata whispered.

"He's leaving again!" Sakura rushed forward, and Naruto's body tensed.

"What?! Are you sure!?"

"He had...the same look he had when he left the first time!" Sakura seemed to be having a hard time keeping herself together, although Naruto's entire attitude changed.

"We'll go after him this time. He can't have gone far, you saw him, didn't you Hinata? Can we catch up?"

Before Hinata could reply, Sakura spoke.

"Yes, I was very close behind him! Hinata, please-!" She grabbed Hinata's arm, and Hinata felt numb looking into the other kunoichi's eyes, so full of despair. Well placed emotions, the kind of love Sasuke needed but was running away from.

"R-right...!" Hinata whirled around, activating her Byakugan. Her brain had disconnected, trying to protect her from the crazy tide of things she was feeling. She didn't understand any of it. Her vision sped forward, searching out chakra. There was a faint hint of where he had been, but he was moving so quickly, she understood instantly that they wouldn't catch him. But she also knew that Naruto and Sakura wouldn't hear it. "This way!" She sprang forward, racing through the trees with the other two right behind her.

They raced through the forest as if hell was chasing them, all through the night until they reached the edge of the fire country. It was Sakura who said it, falling to her knees in despair. "We...were too late. He's gone." She sounded so haunted, so defeated, that Hinata couldn't bring herself to look at her. She focused on Naruto instead, who moved over to Sakura and folded her in his arms, tears leaking from his closed eyes. Sakura grabbed at his chest, and Hinata heard a faint clicking noise. Hinata couldn't even find it in herself to be jealous. She just dipped her head, panting heavily from the speed of their run.

She had failed just as much as Sakura and Naruto.

_Why does he trust you? Why does he...care about you?_

_Bring Sasuke back to Konoha for me..._

_Is it broken, Hinata?_

_'No,' _Hinata thought. _'My heart isn't the one that's broken. Just the one that deserves to be.' _She clenched her hand into a fist, drawing it up to her chest and dipping her head. That pain on Sasuke's face...she had been the cause of it. She knew it. Hinata would have loved to believe that she was simply being egotistical, that someone like Sasuke would never care about her, that she would never have to hurt anyone like him. That she would never be able to. As the tears began falling from her eyes, she felt once more like she was living someone else's life. Could she have done anything? If she had realized what Sasuke was feeling sooner, would it have made a difference?

And what did she feel in return?

Hinata let her gaze flicker to Naruto one more time just before deactivating her Byakugan.

What she saw made her reactivate it instantly. Sasuke vanished almost completely from her mind, because the situation forming was so much more pressing. His chakra was changing so rapidly, flooding and swirling in violent patterns. The color was different too. And Naruto's body was shaking, his arms still clenched around Sakura who attributed his motion to crying. "Sakura!" Hinata cried out, watching the pink haired kunoichi's eyes slowly widen as she sensed the change, the forming of sinister chakra that leaked from Naruto's body. He wasn't in control anymore, he didn't seem to be able to move.

"SAKURA, MOVE! KNOCK HIM UNCONSCIOUS!" Hinata was racing towards them, screaming the words as she did, even though they were ones she never thought she would say. She had never faced Naruto influenced by the Kyuubi in a combative situation, and she didn't want to. She lifted her hand, channeling the chakra and intending to drive it into the side of Naruto's head. His arm snapped around, grabbing her hand. The red chakra had sunk into his skin, and pieces of it were melting away. Slowly, Naruto turned his head to look at her. Hinata heard Sakura screaming as the chakra burned her, and felt that same pain on a lesser scale. She saw a flicker of tortured recognition in Naruto's eyes, which were rapidly turning color as his skin continued to dissolve. Luckily for Hinata, Naruto stood and swung his arm with intense strength, sending her flying through the air.

She had time only to cover her face and head with her arms before colliding with the ground. The force didn't knock her unconscious, but she felt the dirt crater with the strength of her impact. Pain rocketed up her side, and she coughed, knowing at least one of her ribs was broken. Sakura was still screaming.

Why was this happening? Naruto had lost control before, but...had it ever been this bad? Hinata forced herself to focus, counting...two tails...and now three? She could see something lying on the ground by Sakura, a necklace. That necklace that Naruto always wore. Sakura must have accidentally pulled it off. It restrained the Kyuubi. But it shouldn't have come flooding out like this. And now a fourth tail was forming. Naruto seemed to manage to release Sakura, and forced her away from him with a blast of chakra with what must have been his last conscious moment, because then he threw his head back and let out an inhuman roar.

The jutsu. The one Itachi and that other Akatsuki had spoken of. The one that released the Kyuubi. Hinata forced herself to stand, but was unable to straighten up without a sharp pain in her side. She couldn't run away, and even if she was physically able to, she knew Naruto would be destroyed if he killed Sakura. Naruto was crouching, his entire frame trembling as the red chakra continued to pour out. As quickly as her shaking hands would allow, Hinata created a clone which ran off in the direction of Konoha for help. Naruto watched it go with his head tilted to one side as if debating whether or not he should follow.

Hinata took a step towards Sakura while Naruto was distracted. If she could somehow drag herself and Sakura a safe distance away, maybe they would be able to just...wait for help. Hinata knew even at her best she didn't have a chance in hell at stopping Naruto. The flow of chakra seemed to slow slightly, and Hinata knew Naruto was fighting this. At some level, he must still know she and Sakura were nearby, and he didn't want to hurt them. That's what Hinata told herself, anyway. Because if Naruto gave up, what hope did the rest of them have?

Hinata tried to move a little faster, only to feel the sharp pain in her side intensify and double, sending her to her knees as her breath gave out and blood came coughing up her throat. Naruto's head snapped around as the third tail continued forming, and his mouth stretched into a strange grimace. Hinata stumbled the rest of the way to Sakura, trying not to think about whose blood was making her hands slippery. "S-Sakura-san, come on."

The other kunoichi's eyes were clamped shut in pain, and Hinata could tell a good deal of her skin had been burned away by the Kyuubi's chakra. Sakura was already trying to heal herself, but she stopped suddenly, eyes opening and looking at Naruto. The fear in Sakura's eyes finally transferred to Hinata, who had been supressing it beneath pain and a sense of purpose. "C-can you walk?" Hinata tried to help Sakura into a sitting position, while she fought to ignore the growing chakra behind them.

Sakura shook her head then whispered, "You have to get away from him...if he gets any farther he'll...kill both of us." Hinata clenched her teeth together, grabbing Sakura's arm and wrapping it around her shoulders while she put her own arm securely around Sakura's waist. She was having a hard time breathing, and the blood continued to drip from her lips. "No...! Just leave m-me, Hinata!"

"Y-you'd d-do the same...for...f-for..." Hinata decided not to waste any more energy or oxygen on words, instead forcing herself upright once again and starting to stumble away from Naruto. She had barely been walking for a minute when another roar sounded through the trees, followed by a blast of chakra that knocked Hinata and Sakura off their feet. Facedown in the dirt, Hinata could practically imagine her punctured lung trying to inflate properly. How much time before help arrived? Were they far enough away to be safe from him?

Hinata felt something touch her side and jumped, twisting around to look at Sakura, whose hand was pressed against her ribcage. "D-don't...move..." Sakura hissed, concentration etched onto her face. Hinata held as still as she could, then winced and gasped as her lung was repaired. While she worked, Sakura whispered, "Get Yamato, or Jiraiya or Kakashi...even if you have to leave me. We can't lose...Naruto."

Hinata nodded curtly. Sakura was devoting just enough chakra to her burns to keep herself from bleeding to death, which meant that she couldn't entirely heal Hinata. But with the ability to move freely, Hinata knew she could manage. When Sakura finished, her hand dropped to her side and her eyes closed halfway, her entire body sagging with the effort. "S-Sakura! Don't die, okay? Naruto needs y-you even m-more than...than you need him." It wasn't pain or even fear that made her stutter that time.

Testing the limits of her mobility and feeling satisfied, Hinata lifted Sakura again, this time helping her into a piggyback position on her back. Then she started running back towards Konoha. It killed her to leave Naruto behind, but what other choice did she have? There was yet another roar, and this time Hinata sensed the chakra approaching, stronger than the last one. She couldn't stop herself from turning around.

Hinata's eyes widened, a wave of chakra racing through the trees in an outward ripple that was decimating the foliage in its path. None of her defensive jutsu would have any effect on chakra of this magnitude. And the destructive power of the chakra was terrifying. Hinata noticed that the chakra was moving as a ring, with the inside being safe once the chakra had passed it. _Focus, _She thought desperately. _Focus..._ She tightened her grip on Sakura, praying that she wouldn't mess this up. If she did, they might not survive. _Fold the chakra in and let it go all at once... _The wall of chakra was approaching faster and faster, and Hinata could even sense the heat that radiated from it before she released the jutsu.

Time closed in on itself, and she felt Sakura gasp in surprise and pain as they whirled forward. The deadly chakra brushed against them just enough for the two kunoichis to feel its force before there was nothing to feel, before they were moving outside of space altogether.

Then the sensation stopped and Hinata stumbled, panting heavily. Transporting two people with a jutsu like that took more chakra than she would have guessed. Sasuke must really be something else. Hinata felt a spark of anger amidst all the panic and terror. This was his fault. If they hadn't had to chase after him, they'd be close enough to Konoha for someone to help them. Hinata realized something else at the same time.

Naruto was moving towards them. At a speed that even Kiba probably couldn't match. He could sense them, and he was coming after them. Hinata could only be thankful that he hadn't used another chakra blast-she didn't think she had enough chakra to pull off another teleportation jutsu. Instead, she dropped Sakura as gently as she could, then sank into a defensive position in front of her, casting her Byakugan out in all directions. Was Yamato on his way yet? Was there time?

There!

She could see a group of four sprinting towards them from Konoha, including Kakashi, Yamato, Tsunade and Jiraiya. But they were too far away! By the time they got to where she was, she and Sakura would either be dead or dying, if Sakura wasn't there already.

There was someone else, too. In the other direction. She knew he was still close by. He was just a magnet for destruction and despair, where else would he have gone? "SASUKE!!" She screamed the name with everything she had in her. She knew Itachi never would have released the Kyuubi, not like this, and not for no reason. Unless he was trying to prevent them from reaching Sasuke...

But no. She knew it wasn't Itachi, she could just feel it. Which meant it had to have been Sasuke, for whatever purpose. She didn't care much about his reasoning. All she knew was that if she died here, because Sasuke had screwed Naruto over yet again, she would hunt Sasuke down and kill him herself. Naruto didn't deserve this!

Just then, Naruto burst through the trees, literally tearing them from their roots and sending them flying into the air away from him. Hinata counted three and a half tails. The Kyuubi sank into a crouch, a low growl that sounded disturbingly like a chuckle rippling from its throat."SASUKE!" She decided to try again. "This is your fault! Come back here and FIX it!" Hinata didn't have the faintest idea if he could hear her, but it made her feel stronger just thinking about him. She had to survive this, so she could find Sasuke and...well...kick his ass and drag him back to Konoha.

The Kyuubi prowled forward slowly, toying with her. Hinata stepped forward, turning halfway around for momentum as she had seen Neji do so many times and forcing chakra out explosively from her hand straight at the Kyuubi. She couldn't think of him as Naruto, or she wouldn't be able to fight. The attack hit him square on, and instead of actually hurting him, it simply pushed him back several yards. She definitely wouldn't be able to hold him off for long, but now that she had an idea of what it would take to delay him, she felt a little more confident.

Hinata had been working on a technique with Neji's assitance. It was far from perfect, and whenever she had tried it in the past, she had ended up unconscious. But she understood her own limits now, understood how to move and how to channel chakra. Hinata swept her arms up and did spun again, rushing forward. "Juho Soshiken!" Her chakra took the form of lion dogs, launching directly into the Kyuubi with as much force as she could muster.

If she could stall long enough, maybe the others would arrive in time to save Sakura, at least. Sakura and Tsunade could heal Naruto. He would be safe, he had to be safe. As long as he was safe, she could live with anything else. Even her own death.

Hinata wondered how many moments she had left to live. The attack actually pushed the Kyuubi back a fair distance, but now she got the vague sense that it was irritated. It wasn't going to toy around anymore. The Kyuubi swung itself around, grabbing a tree trunk with its claws and flinging it at Sakura and Hinata.

Hinata sunk backward, taking inventory of how much chakra she had left. Enough, she decided, and swung her arms up, creating a cage of protective chakra around her and Sakura. The tree trunk ricocheted off the front of the dome and flew up overhead, landing behind them. Hinata started to stop the jutsu, but she hadn't realized the tree was just a distraction. The chakra blast following it was relatively small when compared to the earlier ones, but it would be plenty big enough to do some serious damage.

Acting on instinct, Hinata turned and covered Sakura with her own body as much as she could, closing her eyes in anticipation of the pain.

With the first stroke of good luck she had had in a long time, the force was powerful enough that she was knocked unconscious instantly. But the blessed unconsciousness didn't last long. Maybe only five or ten seconds. When her eyes opened again, she couldn't make sense of anything, not even which was up or which was down. Her Byakugan had deactivated itself, and she couldn't tell where Sakura was.

"Naruto-kun..." Hinata lifted her head, finding the Kyuubi and locking it in her vision. Something was in the way though, blocking the violent looking chakra. "Nn..." Hinata frowned, finally decided that whatever was blocking her vision looked something like a very small tree...with two trunks? It was a person. Kakashi and the others must have been closer than she realized! Nearly sobbing with relief, Hinata let her head drop back to the dirt.

"This is the last time I'm going to save you."

Sasuke. Hinata let her eyes drift upward to take in all of the person standing between her and the Kyuubi. Maybe she was already dead, and her brain was failing, causing her to hallucinate. But she always imagined that if she were going to hallucinate, Naruto would be the one with her. Not Sasuke. Not the person who had caused Naruto more grief and pain than anyone else. She was pretty sure that she hated him.

_At least he's_ trying_ to fix this latest thing he's broken._ Hinata thought numbly as darkness washed up and pulled her under again.

* * *

Hinata felt warm. This struck her as strange. It was nighttime and she was outside in the forest, shouldn't she be cold? And she was very comfortable. There was a pillow under her head and scratchy blankets pulled over her. The kind you'd find in hospitals.

The hospital...?

Hinata sat up, thrashing slightly to get the blankets off of her. She _was _in a hospital room, in a bed by the window. She could see Konoha outside. The sky was gray, with the faintest hint of pink on the horizon. Sunrise or sunset...? How long had she been asleep? At first she had thought she was alone, but then she realized there were other people in her room. Kiba and Shino were asleep at the foot of her bed, and Sakura was in the bed next to her. Sai and Ino sat vigil by her bed. Ino was asleep as well, but Sai was awake and looking at Hinata.

"H-how long...?" She whispered, swinging her legs out of bed.

"About a day." Sai replied quietly. It was sunset, then. "They said you'll both be fine, but they worked on you longer. You had a lot of other injuries, older ones." He seemed curious about an explanation, but Hinata didn't notice.

The door opened and Kakashi walked in, pausing when he saw Hinata. "Ah, you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"I-...I'm fine." She wasn't really sure how to answer. Kakashi nodded to Sai, who stood and walked out of the room briskly. Kakashi sat in the seat he had just vacated.

"N-Naruto-kun...? Is he...?"

Kakashi frowned. "Tsunade was working on him all night. He still hasn't woken up."

Hinata bit her lower lip worriedly.

"I wouldn't be too concerned," Kakashi continued. "He has survived much worse."

"R-right..."

Kakashi let out a small sigh, leaning forward. "Hinata."

"Kakashi-sensei...?"

"When we got there, we sensed that someone had just left. That someone held the Kyuubi at bay for almost three minutes."

Hinata didn't look at him, her eyes were too tired to lift them from the tiled floor of the room.

"It was Sasuke, wasn't it? That was why the three of you were out so far."

He phrased it like a question, but Hinata knew Kakashi didn't really expect an answer. "Naruto-kun and Sakura-san...they really care about him. But I don't know if there's any point in holding onto him. I don't know if he's worth it." _Although Naruto-kun thinks he is. And maybe he's right. Sasuke needs people to fight for him. If they fight long enough, maybe he isn't really a lost cause.  
_

There was a long pause, then Kakashi spoke again. "He visited me just before he left. He asked me to train you."

"Wh-what?" Hinata finally found the motive to lift her gaze to Kakashi's, which still appeared polite and calm, as always. She started to ask why, but knew she and Kakashi could only begin to guess at Sasuke's motives.

"I will have some time in the next few months, if it sounds like something you'd be interested in."

Hinata didn't hesitate. She wanted to be able to do more than just use her Byakugan and the Gentle Fist style. "Hai."

Then she stood shakily, holding onto her IV stand. They had dressed her in the hospital scrubs all patients wore. She didn't have any shoes. "I...Do you think I could see him?" Kakashii's frown deepened, but he stood to help her into the hallway and pointed to the room at the end of the corridor.

"I don't think anyone will bother you." He murmured, then offered to go with her. Hinata shook her head and stumbled weakly towards the door he had indicated. She peeked in through the window in the door, but the lights were off, and she couldn't make out anything beyond a shape in the only bed the room contained. As quietly as possible, she slipped into the room and shut the door behind her, wheeling her IV stand over to his bed. The metal wheel of the stand tapped the chair against the wall with a morbidly cheerful clang, and Hinata froze. But Naruto didn't even stir. It was disturbing to see him sleeping so still, but she was fairly sure she could yell at him and he wouldn't so much as twitch.

Carefully, she sat beside him on the bed, trying to ignore the bandages that wrapped around his forehead and neck and seemed to cover most of his body. _Forgive me, Naruto-kun. _Would he be angry when he woke up? Angry that she stayed and got hurt, or angry that she hadn't fought harder to get help or save Sakura...? Or would he just be angry with himself? Probably the latter.

"Hinata..." Naruto's lips barely moved, and his eyes flickered open. She wondered if she had spoken aloud on accident.

"Naruto-kun! I'm sorry, go back to sleep. I'll go." She started to get up, but Naruto's hand twitched towards hers as if he was trying to stop her. She sat down again, frowning.

"No...I think we should...talk." He tried to sit up, but gave up after a moment or two. His words were slurred together, as if it was hard for him to talk properly.

Hinata's heart sank. "Just get some rest, we can talk later." She knew this conversation was coming, but that didn't mean she was looking forward to it.

"Should be...now." Naruto half smiled, resting his hand on top of hers.

Hinata decided to spare him. "Naruto-kun, it's okay. I know what you're thinking." He blinked at her, frowning. "I...right now isn't the right time for us. You have enough to worry about without worrying about hurting me too." She knew this wasn't about her or Sakura or even Sasuke. It was about Naruto, what he needed and what was best for him.

"Hinata..." He looked apologetic and very sad, like there was a lot he wanted to say but couldn't. Hinata forced a smile that came out as sincere and caring as she meant it.

"It's our turn to protect you, Naruto-kun. Sometimes...you just have to let your friends take care of you. I'm not going anywhere, none of us are. I'll always be here for you." She wanted to say more too, she wanted to tell him how much she loved him and how much Sakura did too, but she couldn't. Someone outside the window was masking their presence, but she was fairly sure she knew who it was.

The best thing she could do to help Naruto was to bring Sasuke back. That's what she had told herself. She had told herself the only interest she had in the younger Uchiha was the interest that came from wanting to help Naruto. But the truth about Sasuke was deeper, she knew that.

Leaning in, Hinata kissed Naruto's forehead and stood, knowing he was asleep again before she had shut the door to his room. She glanced around, making sure she was alone, then pulled the IV out of her arm and slipped out the window.

Sasuke was leaning against a tree, watching her with an impassive face. She thought of what she wanted to say to him carefully before speaking, walking towards him slowly. "Sasuke-kun. You shouldn't be here."

He clearly hadn't been expecting that. It was only because of how well she knew the subtle ticks of his eyes that she could see the surprise there. "Itachi is getting farther away as we speak. The longer you delay going after him..."

"You aren't going to try to stop me? To beg me and say how much Naruto and Sakura need me?" The sound of his voice shocked her. He was so cold, so detached, it was as if they had never met.

"No."

Sasuke stared at her for a few seconds. "Hn." Then he turned, about to jump away. Hinata grabbed his wrist.

"But when you're done. When you've killed Itachi and when you've settled the debt owed to your clan...you should come back."

Sasuke jerked his arm away, shaking his head slightly. He took two steps, then Hinata spoke up a little louder.

"I want you to come back, Sasuke. Not just for Naruto and Sakura." He froze. Hinata's heart was pounding in her chest, but she had never been so sure about anything in her life. "Please. I want to know that I could see you again one day. I know you care about me, even if it's just a little bit. I know you do. I care about you too. If you wanted me to, I would leave Konoha tonight. I've already done that, I've already shown you what I'd do for you." She moved closer, putting one hand on his shoulder and turning him around to force him to look at her.

She didn't know exactly what she felt for him. All she knew was that those feelings were intense, passionate, and ran just as deep as the ones she had for Naruto. The only difference was that the feelings she had for Sasuke were undefined. They just existed, far beneath the surface, in their raw form. She needed time to sort them out, but she knew time was something she didn't have.

"Sasuke-kun. Come back to us someday, come back to me." She felt a sudden tremor in her fingers that originated from her heart. He looked so impassive. His onyx eyes were completely unreadable, and he was frozen in place. "Do you know...? Do you understand how much you mean to me?"

"Yes."

_No... _Hinata sensed his tone as he spoke, realizing what was about to happen.

"I just don't care." He swatted her hands away from him, then vanished with a small swish of wind.

Hinata gasped, feeling as if she had been punched in the stomach. But she didn't feel like crying. She didn't even feel sad or rejected. Only frustrated. He was so far gone, he wasn't even allowing himself to feel anymore. He wouldn't feel anything besides hatred. And hatred was so much stronger than friendship or love. That hatred was the only thing that could keep him away from the people who cared about him.

But Hinata hated him too. She hated him more than she loved Naruto. For everything that he was and everything that he had done. She had felt pain before, even felt betrayal. She thought she understood what he was feeling, where he was coming from. She just hoped that the hatred she had would be enough to destroy the darkness growing inside him. Hinata promised herself she would find him again one day, and when she did, she was going to save him before there was nothing left to save.

Hinata turned around, climbing back into the hospital. Her next step was simple. Kakashi had the Sharingan, and he had just agreed to train her. So she was going to find out why her Byakugan had interacted with Sasuke's and Itachi's the way it had.

After that, she would become stronger. She would protect Naruto, and she would train harder than ever.

Hinata would hold Sasuke in her heart until Itachi was dead. Then she would go after him.

_To be continued..._

**Author: Oh no...do you hate me? On a scale of one to a hundred, how much do you hate me? Lots? You may hate me because there was no lemon, but I couldn't put one in without it seeming like Hinata was being used. So you'll just have to wait for the sequel to see the SasuHina, which WILL be coming soon. The sequel will be called Raven, and it'll be mostly Sasuke, as opposed to this story which was mostly Hinata.**

**Raven will also be more about Sasuke and Hinata's relationship and Hinata finding that fine line between love and hate and feeling both at the same time for a single person. Also, Hinata will get to do a lot more saving in Raven. It'll take place two years after this one leaves off, and I'm going on the assumption that Kishimoto doesn't kill off Sasuke or Hinata and leaves Naruto open-ended. That way we can pretend this actually happens. ;)**

**Of course, if he DOES kill Sasuke or he pairs Sasuke and Sakura together or Naruto and Hinata, we can just say this is what WOULD have happened, yeah?**

**REVIEW! Tell me what you liked, what you didn't like, etc...And if you're an artist and feel like drawing something related to this, I'll probably be more inspired to get that sequel out faster. If you're super impatient, check out my video on my profile. It's kind of a trailer for Raven. **

**Until next time!  
-Spar  
**


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